In what could be Lionel Messi’s final year in MLS, there is pressure on Inter Miami to assert themselves as the league’s dominant team.
By almost every metric, Lionel Messi’s first full season in Major League Soccer was a success. He registered 21 goals and 11 assists, driving Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield. He was the league’s MVP and sold out stadiums across the USA and Canada. And yet the 37-year-old was denied MLS’s ultimate glory.
The LA Galaxy won the 2024 MLS Cup, not Inter Miami. In fact, Messi and co. didn’t even make it past Round One of the playoffs, suffering a surprise early exit to Atlanta United. It was, on seeding, the biggest upset in MLS playoff history and shocked those who’d predicted The Herons would stroll to a Cup and Shield double.
Within the Chase Stadium locker room, there is surely a burning desire to make amends as the 2025 season kicks off this weekend. Inter Miami weren’t truly rewarded for being the best team in MLS last year and so this season will only be a success if they go all the way and finally win MLS Cup.
This could be Messi’s final year in MLS. While it’s entirely possible the World Cup winner could exercise an option to stay for 2026 (when Inter Miami are expected to move into their new stadium), his current contract only takes him to the end of this season. It might be now or never for Messi to achieve symbol success in MLS. He’s under pressure to deliver.
Of course, Messi is well used to pressure by now. The pressure he is under to win MLS Cup as an Inter Miami player is nothing compared to the expectation placed on him to win a World Cup for Argentina. Or to win league and European titles at Barcelona. Nonetheless, Messi’s MLS legacy could be determined by what happens in 2025.
Inter Miami have brought back the majority of their squad from 2024. The former Barcelona core of Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are still together, albeit a year older. That could be a factor in Suárez’s attacking output with Busquets also fading as a physical force in the centre of the pitch.
Tata Martino, however, has been replaced by Javier Mascherano who enters MLS as a relative rookie. The former midfielder played with Messi and co. for Barca, but his only coaching experience came as Argentina U23 manager at the Paris Olympics. This is his first time coaching a team at senior level and so there’s a question mark over him.
There remains a question mark over Inter Miami as a defensive unit. As the 2024 season went on, opposition teams started to figure out ways to expose The Herons in defensive transition. There was space to exploit behind their backline, as Atlanta United demonstrated in knocking them out of the playoffs.
South Americans Maxi Falcón and Gonzalo Luján have come in over the off-season to strengthen the defensive line while a clearing up of the injury list should also help Inter Miami improve at the back. Even still, it’s possible The Herons’ fundamental structure as a team is too top-heavy to sustain form over a full campaign.
That some of Inter Miami’s rivals appear to have gotten weaker over the off-season should boost their chances of a strong campaign. The LA Galaxy lost Dejan Joveljić to Sporting KC while the Columbus Crew sold Cucho Hernández to Real Betis on the final day of the January transfer window.
Atlanta United have spent €30m on attacking talent with Emmanuel Latte Lath joining from Middlesbrough and Miguel Almirón returning to the club where he made his name in MLS. The Five Stripes could be a contender in the Eastern Conference again, but it might take some time for things to mesh under new head coach Ronny Deila.
On talent alone, no team in MLS history has ever boasted so many elite level players as Inter Miami do now. Messi and Suárez can blow away any opponent at any moment. Busquets remains one of the best central anchors around while Alba has been a force of nature down the left wing since making the move to South Florida. Then there’s Federico Redondo, son of Fernando and one of Argentina’s best young midfielders.
Inter Miami have made themselves the marquee club in MLS over the past two seasons. When they play, there are eyeballs, usually from a sold-out crowd of fans. This, however, has also put a target on their backs. The Herons are the team everyone in MLS wants to take down. It’s Messi versus the rest and 2025 could be the year he comes out on top.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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