Messi scores 100th Inter Miami goal as club beats Cruz Azul 2-0 to win Campeones Cup

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami on Wednesday, September 16, as the club beat Mexico's Cruz Azul 2-0 at Nu Stadium in Miami to win the Campeones Cup. Messi scored once and set up the second goal.

It was Inter Miami's first Campeones Cup title and the first trophy the club has won at its new stadium, according to Yahoo Sports Canada.

The goals

Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute, heading in a cross from Luis Suárez. Brazilian midfielder Casemiro doubled the lead in the 81st minute with a header from a Messi corner kick, Yahoo Sports reported. It was Casemiro's fifth goal in four games.

Messi was named Superior Player of the Match, according to Yahoo Sports Canada.

Yahoo Sports noted that Messi's first goal for Inter Miami came against the same opponent, Cruz Azul, in July 2023, with a stoppage-time free kick.

A fast century

According to The News Mill, which credited ANI, Messi reached 100 goals for Inter Miami in 115 games. The report said that was faster than he reached the mark for any other team: it took him 188 games at Barcelona and 174 for Argentina.

Yahoo Sports reported that the win gave Messi his fourth trophy with Inter Miami, after the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters' Shield in 2024 and MLS Cup in 2025. Yahoo Sports Canada said the result took his career total to 48 titles across club and country.

Reaction

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said: "Obviously, it helps to have the best player in the world of all time... I think we saw vintage Messi tonight," according to Yahoo Sports Canada.

Head coach Cristian González said: "Leo told me he'd make me a champion, so he kept his word," Yahoo Sports Canada reported.

Midfielder Yannick Bright said: "It's the highlight of my life having him as a teammate." Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair added: "The standard, the expectation is to be able to lift trophies every season."

Why it matters

The win gave Inter Miami its first Campeones Cup and its first trophy at Nu Stadium, and took Messi to four trophies with the club. The milestone goal came against the same team he scored his first Inter Miami goal against in July 2023, and took 115 games, compared with 174 for Argentina and 188 for Barcelona, according to The News Mill.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.