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Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps live score: MLS Cup final result, updates, stats from 2026 title match

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Lionel Messi will hope to bring Inter Miami the club’s first-ever league championship as the Herons host Thomas Muller and the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2026 MLS Cup final on Saturday.

The Argentine led Inter Miami to its first trophy in club history in his first season with the Major League Soccer side, winning the brand new Leagues Cup in 2023. He followed that up by securing the 2024 Supporters’ Shield for the regular season title, but the club fell short in the postseason. Now, two-and-a-half years since joining, Messi hopes that all those steps were on the path towards an eventual MLS Cup title in 2025.

The Herons finished third in the Eastern Conference through the regular season, only missing out on the top spot by a point, and have been electric in the playoffs, scoring 17 goals in just five postseason matches en route to the title match.

Vancouver will present a stiff test, however. After finishing second in the Western Conference through the regular season, buoyed by the signing of Muller in the summer, the Canadian club has been resilient through the playoffs, winning two of its four postseason matches via a penalty shootout and knocking off the number one seeded San Diego FC in the Western Conference finals last round.

The Sporting News is following the Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps match live, providing score updates, commentary, and analysis.

Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps live score

  Score (1H) Goal scorers
Inter Miami 1 Ocampo (OG 8′)
Vancouver 0 –

Location: Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Referee: Drew Fischer

Starting lineups:

Inter Miami (4-3-3, right to left): 34. Rios Novo (GK) — 17. Fray, 37. Falcon, 32. Allen, 18. Alba — 7. De Paul, 5. Busquets, 11. B. Rodriguez — 21. Allende, 10. Messi, 24. Silvetti.

Vancouver (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Takaoka (GK) — 18. Ocampo, 33. Blackmon, 6 Priso, 2. Laborda — 20. Cubas, 16. Berhalter — 11. Sabbi, 13. Muller, 22. Ahmed — 24. White.

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Inter Miami vs. Vancouver live updates, highlights from MLS Cup final

41st min: The Whitecaps are in complete control right now, as Thomas Muller heads a shot on goal from about 12 yards out! It’s well placed from a height perspective, just under the crossbar, but too central and easy for Rios Novo to collect.

39th min: Chance, Vancouver! AN EXCELLENT SAVE BY ROCCO RIOS NOVO! The Whitecaps take a corner kick that’s initially cleared, but sent back into the mixer quickly after retrieving the ball.  It falls to the head of Thomas Muller who directs the ball perfectly into the path of Ali Ahmed free on goal from point-blank range at the far post.

With only the goalkeeper to beat, Ahmed lets the ball bounce which gives Rios Novo time to line up the save, and once Ahmed delivers the shot the Inter Miami goalkeeper is ready and parries it away!

37th min: The foul count is rising VERY quickly for Inter Miami, who have to calm themselves. It’s getting very chippy and the hosts are the aggressors.

Someone on the Inter Miami bench got a yellow card for dissent — not Javier Mascherano — which will only make the situation worse.

34th min: Chance, Vancouver! After Ali Ahmed won a free-kick on the left wing, Sebastian Berhalter delivered the set piece to the doorstep of goal. It was just slightly behind Brian White, but somehow the Vancouver striker managed to contort his body back away from goal and manage to head it on frame, but the effort is weak and straight at the goalkeeper.

In all honesty, it was impressive that White managed to get that on target in any capacity!

28th min: Chance, Inter Miami! Vancouver can breathe a sigh of relief as they get away with a huge chance for Lionel Messi! A poorly executed overhead clearance at the top of the Whitecaps’ penalty area sees the ball fall right to Messi in acres of space to shoot, but his attempted curler deflects off a defender and rolls weakly to the goalkeeper!

You would have expected Messi to finish that chance given the window he had to shoot!

25th min: Vancouver has a penalty shout as Emmanuel Sabbi is tripped on the ball by Baltasar Rodriguez, who himself had spilled to the turf and was getting up. It’s a speculative ask, and the referee waves it away. No intervention by VAR.

The replay shows there likely was contact, but it’s not enough to cause Sabbi to go launching to the turf like a fish.

24th min: Emmanuel Sabbi concedes a free-kick to Inter Miami in prime Lionel Messi shooting position, about 23 yards out shaded to the left. He curls the ball over the wall towards the near post but it’s read the entire way by Yohei Takaoka, who collects it without any issues.

The FOX broadcast states that Takaoka has conceded one free-kick goal in his last 80+ starts, which is wild.

17th min: Brian White now gets a yellow card for shoving Maxi Falcon in the chest. The Inter Miami defender went down to ground super early. It worked.

13th min: The game’s first yellow card is shown to Baltasar Rodriguez after a series of multiple questionable challenges. First, Tristan Blackmon goes barging into an Inter Miami player but does get there first, and then Rodriguez steps in late on Sebastian Berhalter right after the USMNT had released the ball.

8th min: GOAL! INTER MIAMI! VANCOUVER ARE CAUGHT TOO HIGH, AND INTER MIAMI GO IN FRONT!

Lionel Messi starts the move on the halfway line with a brilliant dribble through two defenders, and feeds it forward for Tadeo Allende. The Inter Miami winger is free on goal, but decides his angle is too tight and squares the ball for Mateo Silvetti. Instead of reaching its destination, the ball pings off Edier Ocampo who is racing with Allende, and goes into the back of the net for an own-goal!

There are questions about Allende’s position onside, but a review after the goal confirms the opener!

6th min: Vancouver send a ball from deep into the penalty area, and while Inter Miami clear, Tadeo Allende has the ball pop up and hit his arm while under no pressure.

This will give the Whitecaps a dangerous free-kick opportunity from about 28 yards out. USMNT fans will be familiar with Sebastian Berhalter’s free-kick prowess, but as he feeds the ball to the far post for a teammate, it’s caught by a commanding Rocco Rios Novo who comes out to collect.

3rd min: Vancouver control the early possession, but with no way forward, they hoof it ahead for Emmanuel Sabbi. It’s too far for the Whitecaps striker to get on the end of it, but he goes tumbling over the outstretched foot of Jordi Alba while giving chase.

Alba is furious about Sabbi trying, in his mind, to win a speculative foul, and gets in his opponent’s face. This will be one for referee Drew Fisher to keep an eye on throughout the match.

Kickoff: They’re under way at Chase Stadium! One team will win its first-ever MLS Cup final!

Inter Miami vs. Vancouver: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more

15 mins to kickoff: Inter Miami are aiming for their first-ever MLS Cup title, but so are the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Thomas Muller has a team-first mindset ahead of the match, which kicks off in 15 minutes!

30 mins to kickoff: Lionel Messi is seeking his 40th career major club trophy tonight, an incredible haul that includes 34 of those from his illustrious time at Barcelona.

Messi won three titles with PSG (two league championships plus one Cup) and has two trophies with Inter Miami. What a career the 38-year-old has enjoyed!

You can see all the trophies Messi has won in his club and international career by clicking here.

45 mins to kickoff: Lineups are in! No surprises for either side, as all the regulars start.

The only interesting quirk is on the Inter Miami side where Marcelo Weigandt does not start due to injury, so it’ll be Ian Fray at right-back.

Vancouver also make a change at full-back, but on the other flank, as Tate Johnson comes out and is replaced by Uruguayan defender Mathias Laborda.

1 hour to kickoff: Thomas Muller has been an instant hit in Vancouver. Many players in the Whitecaps squad have spoken about his influence both on the field and in the locker room. Muller is a bright and energetic personality, and has taken on a mentor role to many of the younger players, including Sebastian Berhalter.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: These two teams matched up back in April in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals, where Vancouver ran away as 5-1 aggregate victors, including a 3-1 win here at Chase Stadium.

How much of an effect will that have on predicting today’s final result too? That was a good long time ago, but many of the same players still remain.

1 hour 30 mins to kick: Principal owner of Inter Miami, David Beckham, is on hand hoping to watch his club win its first-ever MLS title. If the trophy is indeed lifted by the Herons, it would signify the end of a climb over a decades in the making.

Beckham retired in 2013 and per the terms of his MLS contract, he was given first rights to buy a league franchise at a cut-rate price. Upon exercising those rights, it was then that Inter Miami was born. If they can secure a league title, it would be quite the journey to reach this point.

2 hours to kickoff: While much of the attention today will be on Lionel Messi as he shoots for his first-ever Major League Soccer title, this match will also mark the end of two illustrious careers.

Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will both retire at the conclusion of this match, marking their final 90 minutes of professional football whether Inter Miami win or lose.

Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps kick off time

The 2026 MLS Cup final kicks off from Chase Stadium on Saturday, December 6 at 2:30 p.m. local time in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Here’s how that time translates across North America:

  Date Kickoff time
Eastern Sat, Dec. 6 2:30 p.m. ET
Central Sat, Dec. 6 1:30 p.m. CT
Mountain Sat, Dec. 6 12:30 p.m. MT
Pacific Sat, Dec. 6 11:30 a.m. PT

Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps lineups, team news

Nursing his chronic knee injury as the season comes to a conclusion, it’s unlikely that Luis Suarez will start this match, having played a minor role through the playoffs to this point.

The only confirmed injury absences for Inter Miami before matchday were David Ruiz and Ryan Sailor, with both missing throughout the postseason. However, Marcelo Weigandt was unable to pass fit on the day for a starting spot, on the bench as he’s replaced at right-back by Ian Fray.

Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are sure to start in their final professional match, with both set to retire at the end of this season.

Inter Miami starting lineup (4-3-3): Novo (GK) — Fray, Falcon, Allen, Alba — De Paul, Busquets, B. Rodriguez — Allende, Messi, Silvetti.

Inter Miami subs: Ustari (GK), Lujan, Weigandt, Aviles, Bright, Segovia, Pecault, Oando, L. Suarez.

Vancouver have dealt with a few key injuries this season, but it has not held them back. The most notable of the group is an Achilles injury that ended the season of Canadian international Sam Adekugbe back in late May, and he will continue rehabbing through the winter in the hopes of returning to play ahead of the World Cup.

They also saw defender Belal Halbouni, who earned a starting spot midseason, miss the semifinal win over San Diego with a knee injury, and he will miss the final as well. Striker Daniel Rios scored in Vancouver’s playoff opener but missed the last two matches with a calf problem and may miss out today too.

Talisman Brian White was absent for the first round matches against FC Dallas due to a muscle injury, but returned in the later stages of the playoffs and should be healthy for this title match. 

Vancouver starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Takaoka (GK) — Ocampo, Blackmon, Priso,  Laborda — Cubas, Berhalter — Sabbi, Muller, Ahmed — White.

Vancouver subs: Boehmer (GK), Pupe, T. Johnson, Badwal, Rios, Nelson, Cabrera, Elloumi, Gauld.

Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps live stream, TV channel

The 2026 MLS Cup final will be televised across the United States on FOX, which can be streamed on Fubo.

In Canada, meanwhile, it will be televised in English by TSN and in French on RDS 2.

The match can be viewed in both countries as well as around the globe on MLS Season Pass from Apple TV.

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