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After 70-plus matches featuring 47 teams from North America’s MLS and Liga MX, the first-ever fully expanded edition of the Leagues Cup tournament is set to conclude Saturday.
The World Cup-style competition, kicked off by a dramatic game-winning goal from Argentina superstar Lionel Messi in his Inter Miami CF debut last month, has been exceedingly entertaining and at times bizarre. We’ve seen thrilling high-scoring results, an outcome flipped on its head after players were called back to retake a final round of penalties, lengthy weather delays, stunning golazos, a raccoon storming through a press box, and of course, a goalkeeper literally doing magic tricks in the middle of a penalty shootout.
It’s been a highly enjoyable few weeks and on Saturday, we’ll see who will lift the interleague trophy when Nashville SC host Messi’s Miami in the blockbuster championship match. Earlier in the day, as an appetizer, the Philadelphia Union will host Monterrey in the tournament’s third-place game.
Summarizing the competition is no easy task, especially when you consider the constant supply of fireworks and eccentricity that has been on display. That said, clear talking points and lessons have been gained and ahead of the weekend’s conclusion, here are a few winners and losers of the lively 2023 edition of the Leagues Cup.
Winners
Messi mania in Miami and MLS
Who would have guessed that the greatest player of all-time would have been a success both on and off the field?
From the minute Messi first stepped onto the pitch in the tournament’s opener between Miami and Cruz Azul, to the buildup to Saturday’s championship match, the World Cup winner has been a massive triumph for Miami and MLS. With nine goals and four assists in just six games played, the 36-year-old (along with new teammates such as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba)…
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