Two years after transforming Major League Soccer with his arrival in Florida, Messi is about to deliver the championship that Miami have long desired since joining MLS as an expansion team in 2020.

Following a challenging start to the season, the 38-year-old Argentine icon has orchestrated a spectacular Miami playoff surge, with the team scoring 17 goals across five matches.

However, standing in Messi and Miami's way is a dynamic Vancouver team energized by German star Thomas Muller, who has boosted an already formidable Whitecaps offense since his August arrival.

Muller and Messi are two of four World Cup champions, alongside Inter's Sergio Busquets and Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul, who will compete at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale in an MLS Cup final that is a marketer’s dream.

Muller, however, has downplayed the idea that Saturday’s match is a personal duel between him and Messi.

"It’s not about Messi versus Thomas Muller," he said after Vancouver’s impressive 3-1 victory over San Diego in the Western Conference final on Saturday. "It’s Miami against the Whitecaps."

Miami’s spot in the final would have seemed impossible back in April, when Javier Mascherano's aging squad managed only two wins in eight games and appeared completely drained.

That run included a 5-1 aggregate loss to Vancouver in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

'Can’t run, can’t defend'

"They can’t run, they can’t defend, and the team lacks balance," was the harsh judgment from a broadcast analyst, with few dissenting opinions.

Yet, fast forward eight months and Miami has been revitalized.

The addition of Argentine midfielder De Paul has added toughness and agility, while Mascherano’s choice to bench the 38-year-old Luis Suarez in favor of the 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti has injected much-needed speed into the attack.

Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen said he is not overestimating his team’s consecutive wins against Miami in April.

"It almost feels like that was last season, right?" Sorensen said on Thursday. "This is a new match. Two teams with their own approaches, and we’ll see who prevails come Saturday."

Messi, who has rarely given interviews during his two years in Florida, told ESPN Argentina in a Thursday interview that playing at home this Saturday might give Miami an advantage.

"We’re in a great phase; the team is solid and motivated," he stated.

"Playing on home ground is an advantage. Although we had a period of inconsistency and struggled to win consecutive games, at home we always remained strong."

Waiting for Messi, however, is his longtime rival Muller. The 36-year-old Bavarian is one of the few players worldwide who holds a winning record against Messi, having won seven out of ten encounters between them.

These victories include the 2014 World Cup final, where Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro, and Bayern Munich’s 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals.

"I look back at those matches with confidence because they are part of history, and I gained valuable experience playing in those games with my teams, so it was enjoyable," Muller reflected on his past meetings with Messi.

"But it doesn’t really matter for Saturday; this is a new match."