The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, awarded every year since the league’s first season in 1996. The LA Galaxy hold the record for the most MLS Cup victories, having secured the title six times in ten appearances in the final.
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Inter Miami won its first-ever MLS Cup on December 7, 2025, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 with two second-half assists from Lionel Messi.
Inter Miami’s Historic First Title
On December 7, 2025, Inter Miami CF won its first MLS Cup in franchise history, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 at Chase Stadium. Lionel Messi assisted on second-half goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende, delivering South Florida’s team its first Philip F. Anschutz Trophy after years of trying.
Multiple-Time MLS Cup Winners
The first MLS Cup was claimed by D.C. United, based in Washington, D.C. Since then, seven teams have won the title more than once: the LA Galaxy with six titles, D.C. United with four, the Columbus Crew with three, and the Houston Dynamo, Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes with two each. The Chicago Fire won the MLS Cup during their inaugural season in 1998, becoming the only professional American soccer club to capture a league championship in its first year.
MLS Cup Records Through the Years
The league has maintained a comprehensive record of every MLS Cup winner since its inception in 1996. The MLS Cup remains the ultimate prize in the league, representing the culmination of the season for every team competing in Major League Soccer, and with Inter Miami’s breakthrough title in 2025, South Florida now has its own chapter in that history.
