BBack on February 27, 2020, days before Inter Miami's first-ever MLS match, I stood next to the club's managing owner Jorge Mas and co-owner David Beckham during an MLS press conference in New York. I was there for Sports Illustrated and my show Planet Fútbol TV that I co-hosted with my friend. the late, great Grant Wahl. We were adamant that Inter Miami's story was exciting, not only because of Beckham's influence in MLS, but also because his new club was going to introduce the league to the unique culture of Miami and south Florida – the Latin American capital of the world.
The 2020 conversation was my second meeting with Mas and my first with Beckham. I remember the feeling of excitement for both men, knowing that this Inter Miami project, seven years in the making before their debut in the league, was about to come to fruition after a long and difficult journey. From legal battles with Internazionale over trademarking the word “Inter” to political and structural issues as they tried to make Miami Freedom Park a reality. Now the club has finally begun life in MLS.
“I’m excited, I’m excited, I’m so excited,” Beckham kept telling me.
An Inter Miami player in the league hadn't even kicked a ball, but the dream was there to bring the greatest player the game has ever seen to 305. “The Miami Way” for them has always been different from anything else in MLS.
In the summer of 2023, the dream came true. I traveled all over Miami and Fort Lauderdale, interviewing everyone who spoke to me about crowning Messi as the new son of the city. From the security guard outside Chase Stadium to the Argentine baristas at Buenos Aires Bakery and Cafe in North Beach, the entire community was thrilled. Even Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel wanted to talk to me.
“I'm 40 years old, and this is one of the biggest things to happen to American sports in my entire life,” he told me. “[Messi] is changing the industry.”
It was truly Messi's summer. The Argentine, now world champion, led struggling Inter Miami to their first ever trophy. League Cup in August that year. That same summer I met Messi for the first time and interviewed him. My first question was simple: “I have never seen you happier. Is that why you are here?”
Without pause he said yes.
“This is what we were looking for after spending two difficult years [at PSG]”, he said. “And now we are happy not only because of what happens on the field, but also because of my family, our lifestyle and how we spend our time.”
Together with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three children, Messi developed a real sense of community. Many of his teammates are also good friends. His children are happy with their studies at the academy, and his own empire continues to grow along with huge contracts with Apple and Adidas. He's filming commercials for Michelob Ultra and Lowe's and building his brand and reputation in the United States, which is especially important as America hosts the men's World Cup next summer.
But Messi and Inter Miami want more. That's why there have been significant changes this season, both on and off the field.
There was a realization that the league is a two-headed monster, and therefore you need a deep roster with two mindsets – one for the regular season and one for the playoffs. MLS is not a marathon, it is a triathlon, which poses many challenges for clubs. The club was not fully prepared for this season. Last season, under Gerardo “Tata” Martino Messi was MLS MVP, but the club lost in the first round of the playoffs to Atlanta United. Questions were raised regarding the Inter Miami project, and it was clear that Messi alone – especially now that he is approaching retirement – cannot do it alone.
Following the departure of sporting director Chris Henderson in 2024, the role – and others – became a hot potato until Guillermo Hoyos was appointed sporting director. Hoyos is considered Messi's “godfather of football” due to a shared history dating back to La Masia, Barcelona's academy. This is a man whom Messi trusts completely. The next step was to find a coach who not only understood Messi on and off the field, but could create a team that would allow Inter Miami to reach their full potential.
Javier Mascherano, fresh from his Olympic appearance with Argentina's under-23 team, was chosen as he knew Messi personally and professionally from their time at Barcelona and Argentina. The problem was that he had never managed a club before. But for now, it seems like the positives completely outweigh the negatives as we look forward to the weekend and Inter Miami's first appearance in the MLS Cup.
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I think it's easy to say that this club is just a marketing tool under Messi. This misses the full picture. The club also has a developing academy targeting local talent who could eventually make it into the first team, such as 23-year-old Ian Frey, a home-grown defender who received his first call-up to the Jamaican national team back in October. The other is Benjamin Cremaschi, on loan from Parma and an important player for the US youth teams.
Meanwhile, the first team has never looked better. After beating New York 5-1 in the Eastern Conference finals, Inter Miami has scored 17 goals in five playoff games this season. But most importantly, they have improved markedly defensively, conceding just four goals in those five games. They are an extension of Mascherano's personality: confident, resilient and, above all, driven.
The lineup is the perfect blend of experience and youth, seasoned with a heavy dose of Argentine and Latin American character, which works. With Messi, not for him. Thanks to Tadeo Allende (on loan from Celta Vigo) and 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti, who came from Messi's boyhood club Newell's Old Boys, it is a close-knit and diverse squad. And when you add Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba (who will retire after the MLS Cup) and Rodrigo de Paul, you add a ton of big-game experience into the equation. Luis Suarez is unlikely to start on Saturday having been on the bench in each of the last two rounds, which shows just how far this team has come under Mascherano.
So the biggest test comes on Saturday when Thomas Muller and the Vancouver Whitecaps travel to Fort Lauderdale. In many ways, this is the perfect MLS finals plot. Here comes the clash of two legendary players with a huge history for club and country, including the 2014 World Cup final when Müller's Germany beat Messi's Argentina.
But there's more to this ending than just these two men; Vancouver poses a real threat. The Canadians earned a career-high 63 points in the regular season, reached the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup (defeating Miami in the semifinals along the way) and won their fourth straight Canadian championship. And all this happened in Jesper Sorensen's first season as coach.
At the end of the day, however, Inter Miami knows that hosting the MLS Cup will give them an advantage. Expect a busy Chase Stadium for Inter Miami's final home game. Messi recently extended his stay at Inter Miami until 2028, which also means he will take charge of the team at Miami Freedom Park when it opens next April.
The hope is that when that day comes next spring, he will step into the club's new home and host the MLS Cup.
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Luis Miguel Echegaray is a writer, analyst and presenter specializing in soccer and sports coverage that also appeals to U.S. Hispanic audiences. He previously worked for ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and returns to the Guardian as a contributor.
