Why Lionel Messi vs. Thomas Muller Is the Biggest Opportunity in MLS Cup History

With television broadcasts and star power, the 2025 MLS Cup could break records on Saturday.

The 2025 MLS Cup final sees an opportunity for the league’s growth like never before. / Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The 2025 MLS Cup final between Inter Miami and Vancouver Whitecaps is the most important in Major League Soccer’s 30-year history. 

With the legends of Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller, the chance for both Miami and Vancouver to win their first MLS Cup and excitement for soccer brimming a day after the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, the game presents a critical opportunity for growth. 

When Messi signed with Inter Miami in 2023, he changed the league’s trajectory like no signing since David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in 2007. 

Since then, the club has recruited former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who will play their final game before retirement, as well as Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul.

Miami is the most marketable team in the league and has become a globally iconic club, much to the vision of Beckham and co-owners, Jorge and José Mas. You’d be hard-pressed to see a group of fans in 2025 without at least one Miami kit. 

The Herons’ first MLS Cup matchup also features the 11th clash between Messi and one of the few players who has found ample success against him, Müller, who brought the Whitecaps to the forefront of MLS alongside Miami after years of relatively unknown signings. 

It’s an enticing matchup in every way and sets the stage for MLS to have its genuine breakout into the mainstream of American sports and global soccer. 

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Easy Viewing for MLS Cup 

The 2025 MLS Cup final is scheduled to have a clear window outside of other major sporting events. / Megan Briggs/Getty Images

For much of Messi’s time in MLS, as well as Müller’s since his arrival, matches have been stuck behind the Apple TV MLS Season Pass paywall. While their arrivals—mainly Messi’s—have boosted subscriptions and commercial success, plenty more will be able to witness MLS Cup.

MLS Cup will be streamed globally for free on Apple TV and broadcast on linear channels, including FOX Sports in the United States and TSN in Canada, and its scheduled time (2.30pm ET) makes it attractive to a global audience. 

While MLS and Apple have restructured their agreement to end two years earlier than initially planned and have made MLS available to all Apple TV subscribers in 2026, the league remains out of sight for many traditional American sports fans. 

East vs. West 💥

All for the Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/JuIiTZQrVf

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 1, 2025

Yet, the final will break through, given the stars and the event’s showcase off the back of an already massive boost in viewership, which has seen the MLS Cup playoffs garner over 711,000 viewers per match, a 23% year-over-year increase across linear and streaming platforms.

MLS also settled on the 2.30pm ET time slot, avoiding clashes with other significant events, including F1 Abu Dhabi and college football conference championships, which have games at 12.00pm, 4.00pm and 8.00pm ET. 

The match will be the most prominent event in the American sports scene on Saturday afternoon. It will also be at prime time in the United Kingdom (7.30pm), Central Europe (8.30pm) and in the afternoon in South America.

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Stars and Storylines Galore

Thomas Müller (left) and Lionel Messi (right) won MLS Conference trophies to lead their teams to the final. / Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images, CHANDAN KHANNA/Getty Images)

The 2025 MLS Cup will see the first player to lift the Phillip F. Anschutz trophy and World Cup on their resume, with four previous World Cup winners in Müller, Messi, De Paul and Busquets set to play.

That factor is one of several that make the matchup most enticing from stars and storyline perspectives. Others include Müller seeking his eighth win over Messi in competitive games, Messi looking to avoid ending 2025 without major silverware and the Herons’ bid for revenge after losing to the Whitecaps twice in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal in the spring.

Miami and Messi are also playing some of their best soccer. Messi has 35 goals and 26 assists in 33 regular-season and playoff games combined, while Miami broke the record for the most goals scored in the same span, with 98 so far. 

Three decades of MLS, one mindset — it’s always been about the Cup. 🏆

Who will lift MLS Cup pres. by Audi for the first time? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/HmQMxiugUo

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 1, 2025

Vancouver, meanwhile, are the first team in the modern era of MLS to reach the final of every competition they played in this season, having won the Canadian Championship, advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup final and won the Western Conference. 

There have been plenty of significant games in MLS history. Still, few have rivalled how much of a boost the league could get from the 2025 final—and the only thing that could have improved the situation is the stadium, as the Whitecaps are set to outdraw the 20,000-capacity Chase Stadium for their viewing party at BC Place. 

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