Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps enter an unprecedented Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final on Saturday, each chasing their first Philip F. Anschutz trophy in a spectacle fueled by the renewed rivalry between Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller.
With ticket prices at record highs, the free global broadcast will reach more than 100 countries as the MLS rolls out its most ambitious production yet for a final featuring two of Europe’s stars.
At 38, Messi produced the season Inter Miami had hoped for when it brought the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner to Florida, guiding the club to its first MLS Cup final and posting a record 405 assists along the way.
The Argentine captain had 29 goals and 19 assists in the regular season, plus six goals and seven assists in the postseason.
Müller, a long-time Bayern Munich talisman who arrived in Vancouver in August, played a key role in the CONCACAF Champions Cup runners-up campaign, with seven goals and three assists in seven regular season games.
The head-to-head clash between the two veterans tilts the match in the German’s favor, winning seven of their 10 meetings, including two Bayern defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League in 2013 and 2020 and Argentina’s painful defeat in the 2014 World Cup final.
“Maybe they trust him a little more than this team trusts me,” the 36-year-old Müller said of Messi and Inter Miami after Vancouver defeated San Diego in the Western Conference final.
«This is a final that I wanted. The great thing is not only that you are playing against the best player our sport has ever played and still does, but I think when you have a match like that, more people see you.»
“Playing with these great players and names makes it a little more exciting for more people around the world. It’s a perfect situation for everyone involved.”
As Muller suggested, the matchup’s profile elevated the entire event to the next level, driving record demand and the most ambitious broadcast the MLS has ever put together.
According to marketplace TickPick, this year’s final is the most expensive MLS Cup ever, with an average ticket purchase price of $565, surpassing the previous record of $501 set in 2022.
MLS and Apple have combined that demand with their largest production yet, promising “the most immersive broadcast yet” with more than 30 cameras, drones, robotic targeting units, referee cams and isolated feeds from players and coaches at Chase Stadium.
It will be a fitting stage for two World Cup winners chasing another title in the twilight of their careers, and with the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico on the horizon.
Published on December 5, 2025
