Inter Miami CF are one game away from hosting MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 6, taking on New York City FC in the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday at Chase Stadium (6 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV).
The Herons have captured Supporters' Shield (2024) and Leagues Cup (2023) titles during their Lionel Messi era, but are still seeking their first-ever MLS Cup. No time like the present, especially with legendary teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba set to retire at season's end.
Let's take a closer look at how they got to this point.
The Herons' quest for their first MLS Cup started with a 3-1 win over Nashville SC at Chase Stadium in Game 1 of their Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Messi struck for his first-ever MLS postseason brace and added an assist on a Tadeo Allende goal in the second half, all as Miami put in a dominant performance behind their legendary captain.
Miami were unable to complete the two-game sweep of Nashville as Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer scored first-half goals to send the Coyotes past the Herons, 2-1, in Game 2 at GEODIS Park.
Messi pulled one back late for Inter Miami, but Nashville held on to force a pivotal Game 3, sending the Best-of-3 Series down to the wire.
Messi quickly silenced talk of a Round One ouster for the second straight season by scoring a first-half brace en route to a convincing 4-0 victory at Chase Stadium, sending Miami to their first-ever Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Allende struck twice in three minutes during the second half to put the finishing touches on Nashville, exorcising the demons from a shock upset by Atlanta United in last year's Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Messi was again singularly dominant for Miami, bagging a goal and three assists to set the MLS record for the most goal contributions in a single postseason (12) in a 4-0 rout of second-seeded FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
Head coach Javier Mascherano chose to leave legendary striker Luis Suárez on the bench in favor of 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti, who was sharp in Game 3 against Nashville. The U22 Initiative forward delivered once again, contributing an assist before bagging a stunning goal of his own. Allende added another brace in the decisive victory.
Inter Miami came up just short in their pursuit of a second consecutive Supporters' Shield title, finishing third in the Eastern Conference with 65 points (19W-7L-8D record).
Messi led the charge, winning the 2025 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi with 29 goals to become the league's top scorer during his second full season with the Herons. He added 19 assists, giving him 48 goal contributions this year – narrowly shy of Carlos Vela's MLS record (49) for LAFC in 2019.
