FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The first phase of the Lionel Messi era at Inter Miami delivered the trophy expected when the audacious project was first launched, with the Argentinian icon adding an MLS Cup to his already-loaded trophy case.Messi delivered yet again, as he has throughout his MVP-worthy season, delivering a pair of game-clinching assists, including a winning assist to Rodrigo De Paul, who raced onto a perfectly-weighted pass to deliver the winning goal in the 71st minute in an eventual 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium on Saturday.Tadeo Allende provided the title-securing finish late in stoppage time, finishing off yet another excellent Messi pass to seal the victory.The win helped the Herons win their first MLS Cup and third piece of silverware since Messi and his star-studded cast of friends decided to make South Florida home.The triumph also marked the end of an era, with o Busquets and Jordi Alba playing their final matches before retiring, teaming up with Messi for one more trophy to the list of championships they won together at FC Barcelona.Things started quietly for Messi through the first 70 minutes of the match, with Vancouver doing well to keep numbers around him, but the World Cup winner pounced at the first opportunity when he won a challenge in Vancouver’s defensive third and quickly slipped a pass behind the Whitecaps defense to De Paul, who made no mistake from close range.The goal came at a moment when Vancouver had actually taken hold of the momentum of the match. Ali Ahmed’s 60th-minute equalizer made the score 1-1, with the Whitecaps enjoying the clear edge in energy and control before Messi stepped up with a tide-turning play.Inter Miami struck first just eight minutes into the match when Allende raced in on goal and sent a dangerous low cross into the penalty area, where Whitecaps defender Edier Ocampo redirected the ball into his own net. It was a sign of things to come for Miami, though they would leave it late before Messi delivered the final two assists in his record-shattering season.It was a painful first trip to the MLS Cup Final for the Whitecaps, who never quite could show the dynamism that led them to beat Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier in the year. What was initially billed as ‘Thomas Muller vs. Lionel Messi” concluded with Messi shining and Muller enduring a largely quiet day in the Florida sun.Muller will have another chance to win an MLS Cup in 2026, but he will have to get through Messi again, and while Saturday marked an end to the first phase of the Messi MLS era, Inter Miami will be looking to make the second phase even more special, with their new stadium set to open next year, and some new stars expected to arrive for a chance to play with Messi.