Lionel Messi won the Leagues Cup in his first tournament with Inter Miami in 2023. Miami defeated Nashville SC in the final on August 19, winning 10–9 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 1–1.
Messi joined Inter Miami in July after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, and his debut came in the Leagues Cup rather than MLS league play. The competition brought together clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX. He scored in every match he played and opened the final with a goal in the 23rd minute.
The title was historic for Inter Miami: it was the club’s first major trophy since entering MLS in 2020. Messi finished the tournament as its top scorer with 10 goals and was named its best player. Goalkeeper Drake Callender was the shootout hero in the final, saving Nashville’s deciding attempt.
The Leagues Cup was not the MLS Cup or the U.S. Open Cup. It was a separate cross-border tournament, and its victory also earned Miami qualification for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.