The Seattle Sounders pulled off one of the biggest upsets in North American football on Sunday, beating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 3-0 at a packed Lumen Field to claim their first-ever Leagues Cup title.
Goals from Osaze De Rosario, Alex Roldan, and Paul Rothrock sealed the victory in front of a record crowd of 69,314 fans, who witnessed Seattle’s disciplined defense shut down Messi and Miami’s star-studded lineup.
But the celebrations were briefly overshadowed by ugly scenes at the final whistle. Miami striker Luis Suárez sparked a brawl after clashing with Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas, with cameras appearing to catch the Uruguayan forward spitting in the direction of a Seattle assistant coach. Officials rushed onto the pitch to separate both sides before the Sounders could lift the trophy.
Despite Miami’s frustration, it was Seattle’s night. De Rosario set the tone in the 26th minute, heading home a pinpoint cross from Roldan after forcing an early save from Miami keeper Oscar Ustari.
Inter, winners of the 2023 Leagues Cup in Messi’s debut season, pressed for an equaliser but found no way past Seattle’s backline. Jackson Ragen twice blocked Messi and Rodrigo De Paul in the first half, while Suarez set up Messi for a golden chance in the second, only for the Argentine to chip wide. Tadeo Allende then missed from point-blank range, a moment that summed up Miami’s frustrations.
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer praised his side’s resilience against the $46.8 million Miami roster, which dwarfs Seattle’s $16.7 million payroll. “It’s a lot,” he admitted. “It’s against one of the best teams in our league, in the world, with Messi the best player in the world. I think the guys dug down deep. At 1-0 the game could have gone either way. They were putting a lot of pressure on us.”
Roldan’s penalty in the 84th minute gave Seattle breathing space before Rothrock’s 89th-minute strike sealed the win. Schmetzer refused to dwell on the post-match scuffles, saying: “I guess we can take that as a compliment that Miami’s frustrations led to some things happening. But that shouldn’t be the story. The story is the collective effort of my team.”
The win adds to Seattle’s growing trophy cabinet, making them the first MLS team to have won every major title available in North America, including two MLS Cups, a Supporters’ Shield, four US Open Cups, and a CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Both finalists had already secured places in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, but Seattle’s triumph guarantees them a direct slot in the round of 16, with an eye on a potential 2029 FIFA Club World Cup berth.
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