FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami CF will play in the MLS Cup Final for the first time in club history when the Vancouver Whitecaps travel to Chase Stadium for the match Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Neither Inter Miami nor Vancouver has won an MLS Cup, guaranteeing a first-time champion.

Vancouver has defeated Inter Miami twice already this year — once in the Concacaf Champions Cup and once in the MLS regular season.

Saturday’s match will also feature Argentine star Lionel Messi facing German veteran Thomas Müller, renewing a long-running rivalry. Müller has historically had the upper hand in their matchups, with several of Messi’s most notable defeats coming at Müller’s hands.

In the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, Müller scored the opening goal in Germany’s 4–0 win over Messi’s Argentina. Four years later, Germany beat Argentina 1–0 in the 2014 World Cup Final. In club play, Müller and Bayern Munich routed Messi and Barcelona 8–2 in the 2020 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, handing Barcelona its worst loss in European competition.

Inter Miami enters Saturday’s final in strong form, coming off a 5–1 win over New York City FC and a 4–0 win over FC Cincinnati.

If Inter Miami wins, it would be the club’s third major trophy since Messi joined in 2023.