"He had three assists and I had none" - Thomas Muller makes honest Lionel Messi admission after Vancouver's MLS Cup loss to Inter Miami

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Muller has admitted he was outperformed by Lionel Messi after his side lost 3-1 to Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final. The two sides locked horns at the Chase Stadium on Saturday, December 6.

The Herons got off to a great start, taking the lead in the eighth minute via Edier Ocampo's unfortunate own goal. However, Vancouver responded brilliantly and leveled the scores in the 60th minute through Ali Ahmed's clinical finish. Fortunately for Inter Miami, Lionel Messi provided a pair of beautiful assists to Rodrigo De Paul (71') and Tadeo Allende (90+6'), helping his side win the title.

Messi had a standout performance as he provided two assists and created four chances for his side, per FotMob. Meanwhile, Muller wasn't able to make a similar impact, registering zero goal contributions and creating only one chance for the visitors. The former Bayern Munich ace reflected upon this, stating (via @TouchlineX):

"Leo Messi had three assists and I had none. He won that duel. He secured the title, there is no point pretending otherwise."

However, Muller also lamented his side's misfortune, claiming they dominated Inter Miami and hit the post twice:

"We had Inter Miami on the ropes. We hit the post, the post, and the post again. The referee got drawn into endless arguments, it was dreadful."

To their credit, Vancouver put up a great fight against Lionel Messi and Co., garnering 65 percent possession and landing 10 shots in total, with four being on target. In comparison, Inter Miami mustered eight shots in total, with three being on target.

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"This is the moment I had been waiting for" - Lionel Messi provides verdict after Inter Miami win MLS Cup

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has admitted his side achieved one of their main objectives after defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to win the MLS Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Messi was crowned as the MLS MVP this season after helping the Herons win the MLS Cup and Eastern Conference title. Following the game, he credited his teammates and said (via GOAL):

"Three years ago, I decided to come to MLS, and today we are MLS champions. We reached the semifinals of the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup. Last year, we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round. This year, winning the MLS was one of our main objectives."

He added:

"The team made a huge effort - it was a very long year, with many matches - and we were up to the task all season. This is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for. It’s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it."

Lionel Messi has had a fantastic campaign for the Herons, recording 43 goals and 26 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.