Lionel Messi's teammates once more praised him as the "best in the world" as his dazzling performance with Inter Miami persisted, culminating in the team securing their inaugural piece of hardware through a Leagues Cup triumph against Nashville.

Initiating the scoring, the Argentine displayed brilliance with a left-footed curling shot from beyond the penalty area. However, Miami's advantage was nullified as a second-half strike from Fafa Picault led to a penalty shootout.

Following an extended series of penalties, it was ultimately Miami that claimed triumph as Drake Callender thwarted the opposing goalkeeper's penalty, securing a hard-fought 10-9 win.

“It’s a huge honour to play a role in our first win in a final,” Callender said speaking after the match. “It’s pretty surreal. Very emotional. This team works so hard day-in, day-out to be able to perform like this on a night like this. And to have it come down to the very end, it was amazing to see the grit, just the belief of what we’re capable of. It’s something special and I’m just blessed to be a part of it.”

This triumph further underscores the extraordinary shift in the team's destiny since Messi's incorporation. Plunged into the depths when he joined, the 36-year-old has netted 10 goals across a mere seven games, steering his team through an undefeated streak that culminated in seizing the club's inaugural silverware.

Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, former teammates of Messi at Barcelona, have rejoined forces with the Argentine in Miami. The latter has commended Messi for his significant impact on the team.

“We have infected the team with our spirit, our work, our character and experience, I am very happy to win our first title in just one month, the club’s first. The team is growing by leaps and bounds and we are very happy.”

The outcome also stands as validation for co-owner David Beckham, who invested considerable effort in persuading Messi to embark on the transition and become a part of his MLS team.

“We have some of the best players, if not the best player, in the world out there for us wearing pink. We have a bunch of academy players out there too and that is incredibly important. It’s an emotional night for all of us. It has been a long journey for me. It has been a long journey, I always knew there would be bumps in the road along the way and there were too many, to be honest. Tonight is a night we are going to enjoy."
Beckham said after the victory. Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, David Beckham

Messi came agonizingly close to achieving another cinematic finish when, in the 71st minute, his shot from just beyond the penalty area narrowly missed the post.

However, in the dying seconds, his teammate from Ecuador, Campana, had a golden opportunity to secure victory for Miami. After skillfully getting past Panicco, he found himself at a challenging angle and could only strike the post, squandering a surefire goal.

Subsequently, the match was decided by a penalty shootout. After all 10 outfield players had taken their shots, with one miss for each team, the fate of the game rested on the shoulders of the goalkeepers. Callender maintained his composure as he successfully converted his penalty and then thwarted Panicco's effort, sparking jubilant celebrations.

Amidst the champagne-spraying festivities in the locker room, the Argentine coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino appeared contemplative.

“The most important thing we had to do is put together a team while we were playing a seven-game tournament, and that’s very difficult to do,” he said.