Inter Miami’s journey to MLS Cup has been methodical, and Messi-centered

Back on 27 February 2020, days before Inter Miami’s first-ever fixture in MLS, I stood next to the club’s managing owner, Jorge Mas, and co-owner David Beckham as part of an MLS press junket in New York City. I was there for Sports Illustrated and my show Planet Fútbol TV, which I co-hosted with my friend, the late, great Grant Wahl. We were adamant that the Inter Miami story was riveting, not just because of Beckham’s influence in MLS, but also because his new club was about to introduce the unique culture of Miami and south Florida – the Latin American capital of the world – to the league.

The conversation in 2020 was my second meeting with Mas and my first with Beckham. I remember the sense of excitement from 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, arduous journey. From legal battles with Internazionale over the trademark of the word “Inter” to political and structural problems as they tried to make a stadium, Miami Freedom Park, a reality. Now, the club was finally starting life in MLS.

“I’m excited, I’m excited, I’m so excited” Beckham kept saying to me.

A ball had not even been kicked by an Inter Miami player in the league but the dream was there,to bring the greatest player the game has ever seen to the 305. The “Miami way,” to them, has always been distinct from anything else in MLS.

In the summer of 2023, the dream came true. I traveled all over Miami and Fort Lauderdale, interviewing anyone who would talk to me about Messi’s coronation as the new son of the city. From the security guard outside Chase Stadium to the Argentinian baristas at Buenos Aires Bakery & Cafe in North Beach, the entire community was excited. Even Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel wanted to talk to me.

“I’m 40 years old, and this is one of the most monumental things to happen to American sports since I’ve been alive,” he told me. “[Messi] is an industry changer.”

It was truly the summer of Messi. The Argentinian, now a World Cup champion, led a struggling Inter Miami to their first-ever trophy, the Leagues Cup in August of that year. It was also the summer I met Messi for the first time and interviewed him. My first questionwas simple: “I have never seen you happier. Is this why you’re here?”

Without a pause he said yes.

“This is what we were looking for after spending two rough years [at PSG],” he said. “And now we’re happy, not just because of what’s happening on the pitch but also because of my family and our lifestyle and the way we spend our time.”

Alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and his three children, a true sense of community has been built for Messi. Many of his teammates are also good friends. His kids are content in the academy and his own empire continues to rise alongside massive contracts with Apple and Adidas. He is making commercials for Michelob Ultra and Lowe’s and growing his brand and reputation in the United States, especially important as the men’s World Cup comes to America next summer.

But Messi and Inter Miami want more. This is why this season came with significant changes on and off the pitch.

There was a realization that the league is a two-headed monster and as such you need a deep squad with two mindsets – one for the regular season, and one for the playoffs. MLS is not a marathon, it is a triathlon that gives clubs multiple challenges. Up to this season, the club was not fully ready. Last season, under the guidance of Gerardo “Tata” Martino, Messi won MLS MVP but the club lost in the first round of the playoffs to Atlanta United. Questions were raised over the Inter Miami project and it was clear that Messi alone – especially as he edges towards retirement – cannot do it alone.

After sporting director Chris Henderson’s departure in 2024, the role – and others – became a hot potato until Guillermo Hoyos was installed as sporting director. Hoyos is considered Messi’s “football godfather” due to a shared history that goes back to La Masia, Barcelona’s academy. He is a man who Messi trusts fully. Next was finding a manager who not only understood Messi on and off the pitch, but could also create a team that allowed Inter Miami to reach their full potential.

Javier Mascherano, fresh from managing in the Olympics with Argentina’s under-23 squad, was the choice, having known Messi personally and professionally thanks to their days with Barcelona and Argentina. The issue was that he had never managed a club before. But at this point, it seems the positives fully outweigh the negatives, as we look ahead to the weekend and Inter Miami’s first ever MLS Cup appearance.

It’s easy, I think, to say this club is just a marketing tool with Messi at the helm. This misses the full picture. The club also has an evolving academy, focusing on local talent that can eventually make it to the first teamlike 23-year-old Ian Fray, a homegrown defender who earned his first call-up with Jamaica back in October. Another is Benjamin Cremaschi, on loan at Parma and an important player for US youth national teams.

Meanwhile, the first team has never looked better. After destroying NYC FC 5-1 in the Eastern Conference final, Inter Miami have scored 17 goals in five games in this season’s playoffs. But most importantly, they have improved markedly defensively as they have only conceded four goals in those five games. They are an extension of Mascherano’s personality: confident, resilient and above all else, committed.

The roster is a perfect mix of experience and youth, sprinkled with a heavy dose of Argentinian and Latin American character that works with Messi, not for him. From Tadeo Allende (on loan from Celta Vigo) and 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti, who came from Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys, this is a cohesive, diverse unit. And when you add Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba (who will both retire after MLS Cup) and Rodrigo de Paul, you add a huge amount of big-game experience to the equation. Luis Suárez is unlikely to start on Saturday after being benched in each of the last two rounds, which shows how far this team has come under Mascherano.

Saturday, therefore, comes the biggest test of all as Thomas Müller and the Vancouver Whitecaps come to Fort Lauderdale. In many ways, it’s a perfect MLS narrative for the final. Here comes a clash between two legendary players with tremendous history for club and country, including the 2014 World Cup final when Müller’s Germany beat Messi’s Argentina.

But this final is more than just these two men; Vancouver pose a real threat. The Canadians earned a record-breaking 63 points in the regular season, made the Concacaf Champions Cup final (defeating Miami in the process in the semi-finals) and won a fourth straight Canadian Championship. And all this came in Jesper Sørensen’s first season as manager.

In the end, however, Inter Miami know hosting MLS Cup will give them an advantage. Expect a vibrant Chase Stadium, which will be hosting its final Inter Miami home game. Messi recently extended his stay with Inter Miami to 2028, which also means that he will lead the team at Miami Freedom Park when it opens next April.

The hope is that when that day comes next spring, he will enter the club’s new home holding the MLS Cup.

• Luis Miguel Echegaray is a writer, analyst and host specializing in soccer and sports content that also appeals to the US Latino audience. He has previously worked at ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and is returning to the Guardian as a contributor.