North American League Cup Final "Argentina No. 10 Derby": Messi has 2 goals in 3 games vs. Vega has 4 games and 3 goals!

North American League Cup Final Seattle Bayer vs. Miami International. And the additional highlight is that this final will be the Argentina's "No. 10 Derby": Messi vs. Pedro de La Vega.

Both are the core contributors to their respective teams' advance to the semi-finals, and are also key hubs in the tactical systems of Javier Mascherano (Miami International coach) and Brian Schmetzer (Seattle Gulfman coach). In this year's North American League Cup final, they will face each other head-on to compete for the new championship in North American football. Who will win in the end?

Messi: He returned to form after recovering from injury, and scored twice in the semi-finals to determine the universe

Messi had previously missed key events due to a muscle injury - the quarter-finals of the League Cup against Tigers, and the Major League of America (MLS) against Washington United. In the semi-finals, he returned to the starting lineup after recovering from injury. After playing for 90 minutes, his condition gradually recovered, especially in the second half. In the first half of the semi-finals, Messi admitted after the game that "he had some concerns (worrying that his injury would recur)", but in the second half, he completely let go of his hands and feet and performed amazingly: at the critical moment of the game, he withstood the pressure and scored the penalty and tied the score to 1-1; then planned another wonderful offense and scored the winning goal himself to help the team secure the victory 2-1.

As of now, Messi has only made 3 appearances in this League Cup, contributing 2 goals and 2 assists; throughout the 2025 season, he has played in 33 games for Miami International, hitting 27 goals and 11 assists, and his condition is still top-notch.

Pedro de La Vega: Seattle's rising Argentine star, aiming at the other side of the first championship, Pedro de La Vega is also an indispensable core of the Seattle Bayer people. At 24, he is in his second season in the United States, and his competitive form is steadily improving every game. He scored 3 goals in 4 games in this League Cup; and so far in the 2025 season, he has played for the team in 32 games, contributing 9 goals and 3 assists. He is eager to win his first career championship.