Vancouver Whitecaps eliminate Lionel Messi, Inter Miami from the Concacaf Champions Cup
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are out of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The white-hot Vancouver Whitecaps scored two second-half goals to overturn the Herons' 1-0 lead in Wednesday's semifinal second leg in South Florida, giving the Canadian club a 3-1 win and a stunning 5-1 triumph on aggregate in the two-game, total-goals-wins series that began north of the border last week.
Jordi Alba cut Miami's aggregate defeat to one when he opened the scoring in the ninth minute. It looked as though the hosts might pull level soon afterward, but Vancouver managed to get into the locker room at the halftime break before Inter could add another goal.
But a pair of Whitecaps goals shortly after intermission — the first by U.S. men's national team striker Brian White, the second two minutes later by Ecuadoran midfielder Pedro Vite — extended the visitors' overall lead to three goals. Sebastian Berhalter added another before it was over to compound Miami's misery.
This was a fully deserved victory by the MLS-leading 'Caps, both on Wednesday and over the two games. Vancouver will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Mexican sides Cruz Azul and Tigers. That match will be played on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, FS2). The regional final is set for June 1.
Here's how Wednesday's contest shook out.
Play of the game
Miami opened the scoring with a goal made in Barcelona. Former Blaugrana trio Alba, Messi and Luis Suarez conspired to create the chance that Alba finished with a powerful shot that found its way through Vancouver keeper Yohei Takaoka:
White's 51st minute goal was the effective back-breaker. Crucially, it gave the visitors a potentially tie-breaking away goal, meaning Miami had to score three goals to win outright.
As that cold reality was starting to dawn on the Herons' stunned players, Vite put the outcome beyond doubt. Key stat
The Whitecaps became the fourth MLS club to reach the regional final in the last four years — matching the American/Canadian top flight's representation over the previous two decades. What's next for Inter Miami?
It's MLS Cup or bust for Javier Mascherano's men. The Herons came into 2025 on the strength of the best MLS regular season in MLS history, but they faltered in the playoffs and in the Champions Cup.
Those competitions were the clear priority for Miami over the winter, when Mascherano replaced fellow Argentine Tara Martino as coach. So Wednesday's setback — and the embarrassing fashion in which it occurred — represents a significant blow to perhaps the most ambitious club in the now 30-franchise-strong MLS.
With that much-coveted Concacaf crown now off the table, the "Core Four" of Alba, Messi, Suarez and Sergio Busquets will put all of their attention on hoisting the most important trophy in the domestic game this December.
Inter Miami returns to MLS action on Saturday when Eastern Conference rival New York Red Bulls visit Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. What's next for the Whitecaps?
The Cinderella run continues for Vancouver, which has been a revelation this season under first-year boss Jesper Sørensen. They'll wait a day to see who they'll face in the finale, then resume league play on Saturday at home to Real Salt Lake.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . Get more from Lionel Messi Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
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Can Lionel Messi and Inter Miami really spring a surprise at the Club World Cup?
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