Less than three months after winning their first MLS Cup, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are showing no signs of slowing down.
The Herons prepared for the season with one of the strongest rosters in Major League Soccer history. starts this weekend And the bookends around the biggest event of them all: the World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Messi, who will turn 39 in June, shows no signs of age and is trying to come out of his shell. MVP award for 2 consecutive yearsthe first player in MLS history to accomplish that feat. He continues to add to the legend that will ensure he is remembered as one of the greatest players to ever play this beautiful game.
“He’s a quiet guy, but on the pitch he turns into an animal,” teammate Yannick Bright told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Even after he won, he never wanted to lose, even during practice.”
Messi rarely went it alone in Miami and showed great reload after the game. Bring title to South Florida.
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dane St. Clair has been poached from Minnesota United to address the club’s biggest concern. Germain Belterrame joins from Liga MX side Monterrey to fill a designated player slot and gives the Herons a new dynamic threat up front. Newcomers Michael, Sergio Reguilon and David Ayala should help the club cope with the departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Miami begins its title defense Saturday night in a prime-time matchup against Los Angeles FC at the iconic Coliseum, which is expected to draw more than 60,000 people.
Messi suffered from muscle problems during the preseason and was doubtful that he would be able to play in the opening match. However, he is expected to return to full training and play this week.
Adding to the excitement in Miami, the Herons will host their first game at home. new freedom park stadium The 25,000-seat facility completes a more than 10-year effort to build a soccer-specific stadium in the city.
Miami’s potential challenger
Buoyed by the signing of longtime German star Thomas Muller in the summer, the Vancouver Whitecaps reached the finals of both the MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2025.
Unfortunately, we fell short in both games, but Lost 1-3 to Messi’s team league title and 5-0 victory over Mexico’s Cruz Azul For the continental championship. Muller will be in his first full season in MLS and the Whitecaps will be keen to take home the trophy.
Los Angeles FC could be the strongest club in South Florida as Son Heung-min also prepares for a full season after joining mid-season from Tottenham Hotspur. dynamic pairing With Dennis Bouanga.
“We let Messi win this year.” the son joked “But next year… we’ll be at the top,” he said during a visit to Tottenham in December.
Note also the Philadelphia Labor Union, which argued that Supporters Shield The best record in the league during the regular season, and the new addition of Minnesota United FC. Colombian icon James Rodriguez on a short-term contract.
world cup holiday
The league’s 30 clubs will have to survive a seven-week shutdown period while the expanded World Cup is held in North America.
MLS stadiums in Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto will host World Cup matches, and many of the league’s training facilities will be used by countries around the world.
Atlanta United’s unique schedule has created some strange quirks in its schedule, including going more than three months between home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
When MLS resumes play in mid-July, it will be interesting to see which teams cope best with the extended layoff.
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