Inter Miami’s wild night of firsts and lasts reshapes the club’s future

When a club delivers something epic, a fresh page is immediately written – word for word – in sport’s book of firsts. Rarely does a single game manage to capture both firsts and lasts, but it’s not impossible. Inter Miami now belongs to that small group of peculiar teams that have made such a phenomenon real.

The firsts and lasts for The Herons revolve around the MLS Cup, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Rodrigo de Paul, Javier Mascherano and Chase Stadium.

Four initial aspects

The episode opens with the arrival of the first star stitched onto the pink crest, earned only after clearing two hurdles: the Eastern Conference final against New York City FC and the MLS Cup itself against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Lifting the trophy opened another unique dimension: the Florida team became the first club to field four champions who also know what it means to win a World Cup.

Messi and Rodrigo de Paul arrived as the reigning World Cup–winning duo, joined by Busquets thanks to his celebrated role in Spain’s 2010 triumph.

A third first involves RDP. The number 7 for The Herons joined David Beckham’s club this July without imagining that, within six months, he would score his debut goal in an official game for Miami and win his first title in what became his maiden MLS season.

Finally, but hardly less significant, stands the man who pulled every string from start to finish: Javier Mascherano. He replaced Gerardo Martino, and from that moment the expectations soared. The coach arrived in the American project after a questioned spell with Argentina’s youth sides – he was criticized far more than praised – yet his double achievement ultimately silenced every detractor. In his first year, he delivered what the club had never achieved: a league trophy, multiplied by two.

The farewells

But every good story closes with farewells. For Fort Lauderdale, 2025 will remain historic; beyond the records, the joy and the celebrations that have followed since Messi secured the Golden Boot, the team and its supporters said goodbye to Chase Stadium.

Inter Miami’s first home hosted the MLS Cup final for the last time on Saturday and now prepares to shut its doors, as fans get ready to gather at Miami Freedom Park, the team’s new state-of-the-art venue.

Poetic and nostalgic, the last game at Chase Stadium also served as the final professional appearance for Alba and Busquets. Both Spanish stars chose Inter Miami as their endpoint and, after announcing their retirement in early October, gave everything they had for one final grand farewell.

Two more titles became the golden seal on their careers, the kind that Messi described as a “great career”.

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