WWhen Inter Miami signed Lionel Messi in 2023, the ultimate goal was to bring trophies to the club. After just a few seasons as an official MLS franchise, things didn’t go Miami’s way. Messi completely changed the club’s fortunes and on Saturday Inter Miami were crowned MLS Cup champions.
Although this was not Messi’s first trophy with Inter Miami, it was another milestone for the player and the club. It was even sweeter that Messi shared the victory with long-time friends Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. But perhaps the person who benefited most from Messi’s influence was another compatriot and friend, Javier Mascherano.
Messi and Inter Miami crowned MLS Champions | Inter Miami 3-1 Vancouver | Highlights and Goals | MLS
Javier Mascherano admits things didn’t work out before joining Inter Miami
In his first season as Inter Miami manager, Mascherano was able to lift a very important trophy. Mascherano joined the club with great doubts about his coaching abilities. He rested many players, but admitted in Saturday’s postgame media session that he knew before he arrived in Miami that he wasn’t doing a good job as a coach.
“I understand that there were always doubts since I arrived. It was my first season as a first-team manager. I always told the truth and never hid it. I didn’t do very well with the youth national team. It didn’t work out for me.”
Mascherano went on to praise the players for understanding what the manager wants from them. Together they were able to accomplish what they set out to do from the beginning.
“We found a group of players who understand how we do our job. I tried to help them through this process and I’m happy. It’s incredible to finish the season this way.”
Mascherano’s struggles as coach of Argentina’s Under-20s have been well-documented. He took over a team that had previously had a lot of success, but the players did not respond well on the pitch. Ultimately, he would leave for Miami after the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Argentina was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
At 41 years old, Mascherano’s coaching career is still in its infancy. When you already have the hardware, you’re motivated to keep improving what you do. He certainly made the right moves in his debut season, but things will be even more difficult in 2026 without Busquets and Alba.
