Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami and helped the club defeat Mexico’s Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the Campeones Cup on Wednesday night.
The Argentine forward headed home a cross from Luis Suárez in the 24th minute at Nu Stadium to open the scoring. The milestone goal came in only his 115th appearance for the club across all competitions, the quickest he has reached 100 goals for any team.
Casemiro sealed the victory with a header in the 81st minute from a Messi corner.
The result gave Inter Miami the annual trophy contested between the champions of Major League Soccer and Liga MX, and handed new coach Cristian “Kily” González a title in his first match in charge.
Messi’s opener carried added symbolism: he scored his first Inter Miami goal against the same opponent in July 2023, a stoppage-time free-kick that secured a 2-1 win on his debut in the Leagues Cup.
The 39-year-old’s 100th strike for Miami also marked his 929th career goal.
