Messi Hails Alba & Busquets After MLS Cup Triumph — A Perfect Ending for Barca Icons
Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has paid an emotional tribute to his former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, after the duo bowed out of professional football as champions in the MLS Cup final.
Messi led Miami to a 3–1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps, sealing the club’s historic title win. With the trophy lifted, the Argentine took a moment to acknowledge the two legends who shared one final dance with him on the pitch.
Both Alba and Busquets played the final matches of their illustrious careers in the showpiece clash. For Messi, helping his closest football brothers close their careers with silverware was “a dream come true.”
In a heartfelt Instagram message, Messi wrote:
“WE ARE MLS CHAMPIONS!!! Ever since I arrived in Miami, I dreamed about this day.
Thanks to my family and all the fans for the support, to the whole team, the staff and the management of Inter Miami CF for the ambition and the work they put in.
And thank you, Busi and Jordi, for joining me on this adventure and closing it in the best way possible. It also makes me very happy to share this with you.”
Opinion: A Fairytale Finish Only Messi Could Script
This moment wasn’t just a trophy celebration — it was the closing chapter of a golden football brotherhood that started at Barcelona over a decade ago. Together, Messi, Busquets, and Alba built dynasties in Spain. Today, they’ve written a new page in America.
There is something poetic about the way football lets stories come full circle:
Three Barça icons
Reunited on a new continent
Ending careers together — as champions
Busquets and Alba’s retirement on a winning night doesn’t feel like coincidence — it feels like Messi’s magic followed them one last time.
For MLS, this victory is more than history; it is a signal of how much the league has grown and how global stars now shape its narrative. For Inter Miami, it is a dream fulfilled. And for the trio, it is a promise kept:
To finish together, smiling, with silverware in their hands.
If football is a love story, Messi just gave his closest friends the perfect goodbye.
