Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets ended their careers on December 6, 2025, lifting the MLS Cup after Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium. It was the first league title in club history and the third trophy the two Spanish legends delivered to South Florida in barely two and a half years.
Two farewells announced in the same fall
The goodbye began in the fall of 2025. Busquets announced first that the season would be his last, and Inter Miami honored him with a ceremony on the field after a 4-1 win over the New England Revolution in early October.
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Three days later, Alba followed. On October 7, the left back posted a video on Instagram explaining that the time had come to close one chapter and open another. He still had a contract running through 2027, which made his decision even more striking.
Both players made it clear the timing was their own. Busquets said he wanted time with his family first, while Alba described his choice as firm and fully thought out.
How the Barcelona reunion in Miami began
To understand the weight of this farewell, you have to go back to July 2023. Days after Lionel Messi chose Miami, the club completed the signings of Busquets and Alba, with Luis Suárez joining the group a few months later.
The impact was immediate. The reunited Barcelona core won the inaugural Leagues Cup in 2023, the first trophy in Inter Miami history. A year later, the club claimed the 2024 Supporters’ Shield with 74 points, a new MLS single season record.
Busquets gave Miami a calm, intelligent presence in front of the back line. Alba gave Messi his favorite passing partner on the left, a connection built over a decade at Camp Nou and rebuilt in South Florida almost overnight.
- Trophies won together at Inter Miami: 3 (Leagues Cup 2023, Supporters’ Shield 2024, MLS Cup 2025)
A final that felt written for them
The MLS Cup final had every ingredient of a perfect send off. Miami took an early lead through an Edier Ocampo own goal in the eighth minute, before Ali Ahmed leveled for Vancouver around the hour mark as Thomas Müller’s Whitecaps pushed for more.
Then Messi took control with two assists. Rodrigo De Paul restored the lead, and deep in stoppage time Alba chipped a pass to Messi, who set up Tadeo Allende to seal the 3-1 win. One final Alba to Messi combination arrived in the closing minutes of Alba’s career.
Fittingly, Busquets had the last touch on the ball when the final whistle blew. The match was also Inter Miami’s last at Chase Stadium before the club’s move to Miami Freedom Park.
- Career appearances in all competitions: Busquets 831, Alba 677
Two of the greatest at their positions
After the final, Messi called his former teammates two of the best ever at their positions. Their résumés back him up.
Busquets redefined the holding midfield role at Barcelona, where he won three Champions League titles and nine La Liga crowns. With Spain, he lifted the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 and finished with 143 caps.
Alba, nicknamed “El Moto” for his relentless runs down the left, scored in the Euro 2012 final against Italy and later captained Spain to the 2022/23 Nations League title. At Barcelona, he made 459 appearances with 27 goals and 99 assists, winning the Champions League in 2014/15.
- Spain caps: Busquets 143, Alba 93
Life after the final whistle
Neither player stayed away from the game for long. Alba returned to the field in a charity setting, lining up for the World XI at Soccer Aid for UNICEF in London in May 2026.
Busquets chose the coaching path that Javier Mascherano, his former Barcelona teammate and Miami coach, had predicted for him. In August 2026, he joined the staff of Barça Atlètic, Barcelona’s reserve team, to learn the job from the inside while completing his coaching licenses.
What their exit means for Inter Miami
The departures reshaped Inter Miami’s roster. Two Designated Player spots opened up for 2026, giving the club flexibility to rebuild around Messi as it settled into its new home.
Their deeper legacy is cultural. Alba and Busquets brought Barcelona standards to a young franchise, raised the level of everyone around them, and left as champions. For a club that played its first MLS season in 2020, that is an extraordinary inheritance.
FAQ
When did Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retire?
Both played their final professional game on December 6, 2025, in the MLS Cup final. Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium.
What trophies did Alba and Busquets win with Inter Miami?
They won three trophies together in Miami: the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup, the first league title in club history.
What is Sergio Busquets doing now?
Busquets joined the coaching staff of Barça Atlètic, Barcelona’s reserve team, in August 2026 while working toward his coaching licenses.
Where can I watch Inter Miami in the US?
Every MLS match, including all Inter Miami games, streams on Apple TV in the United States, making it the easiest way to follow the club in the post Alba and Busquets era.
Inter Miami
Lionel Messi