The best Major League Soccer in 2025 plays in Canada.
That’s the biggest takeaway after the Vancouver Whitecaps beat Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 2-0 during the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal late April 24.
Messi helped Vancouver set a record crowd of 53,837 fans in attendance at BC Place, but two players with connections to the U.S. Men’s National team were the difference in the match.
USMNT striker Brian White continued his torrid scoring for Vancouver with a goal in the 24th minute, while midfielder Sebastian Berhalter — son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter — scored in the 85th minute of the victory.
Inter Miami will host the second leg of the semifinal on April 30 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
“We got one more game. We can’t get ahead of ourselves,” Berhalter said after the match.
It’s a semifinal matchup between two of the best clubs in MLS, but Vancouver showed why it leads the Supporter’s Shield standings with 20 points, while Inter Miami trails Charlotte and Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference.
White scored his 10th goal in 15 matches across all competitions this year. It was also his fifth for Vancouver during their Champions Cup run — which included ousting LIGA MX clubs Monterrey and Pumas UNAM in the previous two rounds.
Messi fired two of his four shots, including two free kicks, into the hands of Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka during the match.
He was often booed by Vancouver fans when he touched the ball — perhaps payback for not traveling from South Florida to Vancouver — the longest flight in MLS — for a regular-season match last May.
Messi has been scoreless in his last three matches — Inter Miami played to a draw against Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire on April 13, beat Columbus Crew 1-0 on April 19, before the Vancouver loss.
However, Messi scored two goals with an assist against Los Angeles FC on April 9, helping Inter Miami advance on a 3-2 aggregate score to reach the semifinals with Vancouver.
Messi and Inter Miami will face similar stakes again, down 2-0 in aggregate score in the second leg against Vancouver. Before then, Inter Miami will host FC Dallas on April 27.
Sebastian Berhalter goal: Vancouver 2, Inter Miami 0
Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter scored in the 85th minute, firing past Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to take a 2-0 lead in the Champions Cup semifinal first leg.
Messi free kick saved: Vancouver 1, Inter Miami 0
Messi fired a free kick in the 71st minute, but his shot was saved by Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka. Messi was tripped by midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, creating the opportunity.
Brian White gets yellow card, tripping Messi before halftime: Vancouver 1, Inter Miami 0
Vancouver’s Brian White was shown a yellow card after tripping up Lionel Messi just before halftime.
White has been the difference in this match after his goal in the 24th minute — his 10th goal in 15 games for Vancouver this year.
Messi fires shot into stands, bickers with defender: Vancouver 1, Inter Miami 0
Messi sent a shot that sailed above the net in the 29th minute. Then, he was seen chirping at Vancouver midfielder Andrés Cubas — a fellow Argentine — after the sequence. Cubas tripped Messi around midfield earlier in the first half.
Brian White scores goal: Vancouver 1, Inter Miami 0
Vancouver’s Brian White scored on a header in the 24th minute to take an early 1-0 lead against Messi and Inter Miami.
Vancouver misses early opportunity: Inter Miami 0, Vancouver 0
A Vancouver shot by Daniel Ríos, assisted by Brian White, was saved by Inter Miami defender Marcelo Weigandt in the 8th minute. It was an early chance for Vancouver to make some noise at home, while testing Inter Miami’s defense.
Messi arrives for Champions Cup match in Vancouver
What time does Vancouver vs. Inter Miami match begin?
Tonight’s match begins at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT, 11:30 p.m. in Argentina).
Is Messi playing tonight in Vancouver?
Yes, Messi has been announced as a starter in the Inter Miami starting lineup.
How to watch Vancouver vs. Inter Miami match?
The match is available on FS1 in English; TUDN and ViX in Spanish in the United States. Here are other ways to
Vancouver vs. Inter Miami prediction
Inter Miami 2, Vancouver 0: Messi will score two goals in Vancouver tonight, while Inter Miami’s defense slows down Vancouver’s red-hot attack. Vancouver is second in MLS with 17 goals and tied for first with Inter Miami, conceding just six goals during the 2025 regular season. However, Vancouver scored nine times and conceded eight goals during their Champions Cup run. Inter Miami outscored their Champions Cup opponents 11-3. –Safid Deen
Messi practices in Vancouver before match
Messi practiced with Inter Miami on Wednesday night after arriving in Vancouver. His practice participation is a good indication he’ll play on Thursday night.
When is Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Champions Cup second leg?
Inter Miami will host Vancouver on April 30 in the second leg of their semifinal.
When is the Concacaf Champions Cup final?
The Champions Cup tournament final is June 1. Both finalists will compete in a single match for the championship.
Tigres UANL and Cruz Azul play to draw in other Champions Cup semifinal
Juan Jose Sanchez Purata scored in the 84th minute to help Tigres UANL salvage a draw at home against Cruz Azul on Wednesday night.
Carlos Rotondi scored in the 68th minute for Cruz Azul, which hosts the second leg on May 1.
Messi, inter Miami upcoming schedule
- April 27: Inter Miami vs. FC Dallas, 5 p.m. ET (MLS Regular Season)
- April 30: Inter Miami vs. Vancouver, 8 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions Cup)
- May 3: Inter Miami vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS Regular Season)
- May 10: Minnesota vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m. ET (MLS Regular Season)
- May 14: San Jose vs. Inter Miami, 10:30 p.m. ET (MLS Regular Season)
