MLS Cup in Miami is all about Messi. Can Vancouver crash the party?

MIAMI — Landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport two days before Saturday’s MLS Cup clash between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps, two things were made abundantly clear.

First, Art Basel, one of Miami’s biggest annual events, is in town. Described by organizers as “the leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries and artists,” the fair attracted mega yachts, influencers, A-list celebrities, crypto-bros and others to Silicon Valley, all of whom descended on South Florida for a series of extravagant events. Second, but just as notable, the greatest artist in football history, Lionel Messi, will also present his own local exhibition.

“We know they have a very, very good team,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who will face FIFA World Cup winner Messi and his team in the MLS Cup final on Saturday. “I don’t like to talk about certain players because they have many, many good players. But at the end of the day, we have our tools to play our game and try to be better than them.”

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Call the 38-year-old Messi artistically mainstream, perhaps without pushing the boundaries as he once did during his Barcelona heyday, but he will still be front and center at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale this weekend. Touring Florida before the game, it’s obvious who will be the virtuoso in pursuit of another championship in an enviable and long list for the Argentina captain. But this also ignores the avant-garde and disrupt newcomers.

“I think this game is great,” said Vancouver striker Thomas Müller, a two-time UEFA Champions League winner. “I know you guys, the media and also MLS, it also makes sense to make a point with Messi, with myself and the biggest names, but I think these are two teams with a very attractive and beautiful style of play.

“It’s the perfect finale in my opinion. I enjoy being a part of it.”

The visiting fans are also doing their job. According to Vancouver Southsiders president Peter Czimmerman, nearly 1,000 Whitecaps fans will travel to Miami. During the flight, Whitecaps fan Aaron Singh beamed as he spoke to ESPN.

“[They’re] “You only live once, you gotta do it,” Singh said of his favorite club, while connecting from Texas to Miami. [travel to the game]”.

For aesthetic visitors who like to relentlessly crowd the grounds, who could blame them for feeling confident? In fact, as of Thursday, they had sold 16,000 tickets to a watch party in Vancouver, just 5,000 short of Chase Stadium’s capacity.

On the pitch and heading into the MLS Cup final, Vancouver has only lost once in all competitions since November.

“The pressure is what it is,” said Whitecaps and USA international midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. “We’ve been ready for this all season and the pressures, that comes with it, you know; it’s a privilege and it’s fun, and our guys are going to lean into it and enjoy it. Home team, away team; I don’t think it matters. I think we just want to go out there and execute what we do.”

So, who will be the standout artist on Saturday? There’s a lot to be said about Messi’s crowd-pleasing final spell – in fact, his 43 goals and 23 assists in 48 games cemented him as an MLS great over a single season – and who could argue with his expressionistic movement on the 115×75 turf canvas?

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Lionel Messi reacts to praise from young Pep Guardiola

Lionel Messi watches an old video of a young Pep Guardiola praising his abilities for the first time.

Even Jesper Sørensen, MLS finalist of the year, knows that his trick up his sleeve, 13-time Bundesliga champion and World Cup winner like Müller, is not at the same height as the eight-time Ballon d’Or he will face.

“Everyone knows [Müller’s] career and what he did. He’s done the most in this sport and he’s accomplished more than you can achieve,” the Vancouver coach said.[But] Of course he knows it’s not Bayern Munich, but he wants to influence everything he can.”

As for Miami, their coach and team have plenty of reasons to feel artistically invigorated. Messi and friends have made their mark on the MLS playoffs with 17 goals in their last five playoff games. Messi, alone as the main scorer, has scored 11 goals during this streak. When you look at their home run, Miami only has one loss since June.

For any sports performer, you need plenty of tools under your belt – and Miami has proven it has no shortage of cabinets. For Mascherano, amid the weekend’s art scene, it’s no different than tapping a slick team led by the sport’s greatest innovator. “We are heading into the final with confidence,” said the coach.

Will Messi’s abstract football design make that difference? Will the mural on the creation of chance or on Müller’s goal change the decor? Maybe another name, an emerging artist, could shake up the scene? Either way, be sure to check out Saturday’s design that will be on display at Chase Stadium.