Updated: Feb 25, 2025, 10:52 pm
Inter Miami CF beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 on Tuesday night to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 by a 4-1 aggregate final over two legs.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a masterful strike for Miami at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Tadeo Allende and Luis Suárez adding the other two goals to give the home side an easy win in the second leg.
The reigning MLS Supporters' Shield winners from 2024 beat SKC 1-0 in the first leg in Kansas City last week in a game in which Messi scored the only goal.
Miami will face Jamaican side Cavalier in the round of 16, with the MLS side hosting the first leg on March 6.
Memo Rodríguez scored for Kansas City. It was the team's first goal of 2025.
Miami scored on all three of its first-half shots despite SCK getting the majority of opportunities early, with six shots and three on goal.
Messi slipped a through ball to Suárez, then controlled Suárez's pass off his chest and rifled it past John Pulskamp into the bottom right corner. Messi also started Miami's second scoring opportunity with a perfectly placed ball into the path of Jordi Alba, who found Allende for the finish in the 45th minute.
Two minutes later, a misplayed touch by Kansas City's Jacob Davis led to a difficult goal for Suárez that he bounced past Pulskamp.
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The 37-year-old Messi, who played every minute in Miami's first two matches -- the first leg against SKC and a 2-2 draw to open the MLS season against New York City FC -- checked out in the 69th on Tuesday.
Kansas City had plenty of chances with 10 shots and four on goal. Dejan Joveljic appeared to make it 1-1 in the 40th minute, but he was ruled offside.
Rodríguez entered in the 58th minute and scored from outside the box five minutes later.
Kansas City, still trying to find its footing after significant offseason turnover, remains winless in 2025.
The FIFA Club World Cup trophy was on display at Chase Stadium ahead of the tournament's start in June.
The tournament, which will feature Inter Miami and European powers Real Madrid and Manchester City, among others, will take place in 11 U.S. cities in an expanded format with 32 teams.
"It's a privilege to have the trophy here," said World Cup chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria. "And for Inter Miami to be the first club that has it here in the U.S.
"A lot of excitement is building up. The clubs are ready. We're ready."
Inter Miami will open the monthlong tournament on June 14 against Al Ahly of Egypt at Hard Rock Stadium, the 65,000-seat home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
