Boasting home advantage, Inter Miami made the perfect start in the battle of the MLS Cup debutants, moving into an eighth-minute lead courtesy of an Edier Ocampo own goal.
The Vancouver full-back made an attempt to block Tadeo Allende’s squared pass to the unmarked Mateo Silvetti, but his intervention proved costly, as he inadvertently diverted the ball past the wrong-footed Yohei Takaoka.
After being left stunned by Miami’s early opener, they gradually worked their way back into the contest to produce a strong finish to the half. Brian White saw his flicked header comfortably gathered by Rocco Ríos Novo, before Emmanuel Sabbi was denied at point-blank range by the goalkeeper after latching onto Thomas Müller's clever knockdown.
The Bayern Munich legend then registered his own effort on target, but Rios Novo was equal to the powerful header, ensuring the hosts went into the break with a crucial lead in the high-stakes contest.
However, the Miami shot-stopper was left with his head in his hands when he failed to keep out Ali Ahmed’s near-post effort, just moments after Messi headed inches wide at the opposite end of the pitch. Instead of pushing the relatively tame effort behind, Rios Novo could only push it onto his post and then helplessly watch as it nestled in the net.
With momentum in the Canadian side's favour, Sabbi went agonisingly close to completing a swift turnaround, seeing his driven strike bounce off both posts before his follow-up effort deflected off Maximiliano Falcon against the upright in a frenetic passage of play.
Despite being in the driving seat, the Whitecaps soon discovered you cannot give an inch when the game’s greatest-ever player is on the pitch. Messi caught Andres Cubas dawdling in possession and threaded an inch-perfect pass for his countryman, Rodrigo De Paul, to slot into the bottom corner.
Allende made sure of Miami’s maiden MLS Cup in stoppage time, guiding the ball under the goalkeeper after Alba and Messi superbly combined in the build-up.
While the celebrations begin for Javier Mascherano’s side, Vancouver’s wait for MLS glory goes on.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
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