By Favian Renkel
The moment has arrived. The journey has reached its climax, and three nations will watch as a single team lifts the Leagues Cup 2025 trophy. Will it be a former champion seeking glory for the second time in three years? Or a newcomer—the only MLS team to achieve intercontinental success in the Concacaf Champions Cup—ready to etch its name in history once again? The two best teams of the tournament will face off in the final everyone has been waiting for.
HEAD TO HEAD
- 2nd meeting all-time
- Inter Miami won 1-0 in 2022 regular season meetings (at Lumen Field)
- Record at Leagues Cup: Inter Miami (14-2), Sounders (7-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Inter Miami
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
- Coming off a huge semifinal comeback against Orlando City (after already losing to them twice in MLS play this season), Messi scored two goals to help Miami advance to the final.
- Seattle Sounders
- 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 1 Loss
- Coming off a dominant win against the LA Galaxy without their star fill-in striker Danny Musovski, the Sounders took care of business in Los Angeles and will now host the final.
MAIN STORYLINES
- Can Inter Miami do it again and win their second Leagues Cup title in three years.
- Lionel Messi has two goals and two assists in three Leagues Cup games this tournament. In total Messi has 12 goals and three assists in 10 career Leagues Cup games.
- Inter Miami is traveling out to Seattle for just the second time, will the long-distance travel on such short notice affect their performance.
- Seattle Sounders will be looking for their first ever Leagues Cup title, and their first major tournament win since the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup.
- Seattle Sounders will be down two key players in Danny Musovski and Nouhou Tolo.
KEY FACTORS
- Inter Miami
- Messi's 12 career goals in Leagues Cup is the second most all-time, and he has four games with multiple goals already in Leagues Cup.
- Luis Suárez (3 goals and 3 assists) is tied for the tournament lead in goal contributions, can he add another to his tally
- Where does Javier Mascherano play Rodrigo De Paul, what’s the Argentinian’s best position?
- Seattle Sounders
- Sounders arrive at the Leagues Cup final in great form with one loss in their last 14 games (10-3-1).
- Can young stars Pedro de la Vega and Osaze De Rosario keep up their great runs through the tournament, they are tied for the team lead with 3 goals each.
- Seattle's defense has been fantastic in Leagues Cup only giving up two goals through five games.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Both team arrive at the final undefeated in regulation, each with 12 goals to their name, yet their paths here could not be more different. Now, the same trophy hangs in the balance. Inter Miami CF versus the Seattle Sounders—the two teams that previously qualified for the Club World Cup and represented MLS on the global stage—will collide before more than 50,000 fans, ready to witness history in the making.
The final kicks off Sunday, August 31, at 5:00 p.m. local time and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. It follows the third-place match between the LA Galaxy and Orlando City, a clash unlike any other, with a coveted spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup on the line.
Inter Miami has the chance to erase this season’s disappointments by lifting their second trophy in three years. Bringing in the greatest player to ever play the sport carries one expectation: silverware. With the Leagues Cup on the line, Miami has a clear mission—begin a dynasty. To be considered among the greatest MLS teams of all time, the Herons need trophies, and a second Leagues Cup would cement that case as their cabinet grows. After falling short in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Club World Cup, this is the title Lionel Messi has circled as he chases his 47th career trophy. With a star-studded roster and possible offseason turnover looming, this could be the last chance for this group to lift a trophy together—adding even more weight to the match.
After serving a suspension in the semifinal, Javier Mascherano will return to the sideline for Miami. The legendary former player turned coach faces difficult choices. Will he lean on his trusted lineup and ex-teammates to get the job done, or make bold adjustments to surprise the Sounders?
Rodrigo De Paul was one of the most impactful signings of the MLS transfer window, a landmark move for both club and league. Yet Mascherano has yet to fully unlock his potential. Will De Paul play out wide again, as in the semifinal, or shift centrally, pushing Sergio Busquets into the backline as he did against Orlando? Miami’s comeback in that match hinged on the chemistry between Jordi Alba and Messi—but Alba appeared to be in pain while delivering the decisive assist. Losing the Spaniard would leave a massive gap on the left and likely force Noah Allen into the lineup. That change would limit Miami’s attacking options, as Allen doesn’t bring the same offensive edge on the flank. Big questions await Mascherano, but one thing is certain: Miami has Messi, and the “GOAT” is always three touches away from rewriting history.
Seattle, meanwhile, is a band of misfits determined to rewrite the labels once placed on them. The Sounders silenced doubters at the Club World Cup, then shocked North America with a 7-0 thrashing of former Liga MX Apertura champions Cruz Azul in their Leagues Cup opener. Pedro De La Vega—long dismissed as a bust after early injuries—has rediscovered his promise and become the centerpiece of Seattle’s attack. Jesús Ferreira, written off by many, has thrived in a new facilitating role, elevating those around him. Both players, once overlooked, now stand as pillars of Seattle’s run to the final. Head coach Brian Schmetzer has placed his faith in them, and once again they’ll carry the weight of the Sounders’ hopes as they chase their first Leagues Cup trophy.
Inter Miami and Seattle collide in a winner-takes-all showdown: unbeaten, unstoppable, and with everything on the line. Messi leads a star-studded Miami side chasing dynasty, while Seattle’s band of misfits has defied every expectation. Over 50,000 fans will watch every pass, every shot, every moment that could decide history. When the final whistle blows, only one team will lift the trophy.
This is the Leagues Cup 2025.
