Inter Miami have reloaded for 2026 in a way no other MLS team could have | MLS

WThe MLS Cup brings only a few guaranteed returns: the cup itself and a cash prize ($300,000, about the salary of an MLS backup defender). Historically, this also marked the start of a near-mandatory team rebuild, a consequence of MLS’s parity-driven design. With rare exceptions, large teams find it almost impossible to keep the group together or improve what they already have.

This is not the case for Inter Miami this year. After a series of high-powered offseason additions, capped by Friday’s $15 million capture of Monterrey forward Germán Berterame, a historically lucky franchise has gotten even better; completely different from the 29 MLS Cup champions that preceded them.

This trend persists for obvious reasons. MLS is a league with strict roster building regulations. Teams can sign six marquee players who have reached the cap at various levels, classified as either Designated Players (the “Beckham Rule”) or U-22 initiative signings (the…Jhon Duran Rule?).

Often, the signing of a new designated player results in the most dramatic changes in a team’s potential. But the allocation of these places may require compromises. Nashville SC, for example, had a designated player (DP) spot open this offseason when defensive stalwart Walker Zimmerman left at the end of his contract after an injury-plagued season. Rather than use that spot for another central defender, Nashville brought in one of the league’s best chance creators, Argentine winger Cristian Espinoza. This move should make their offense even better, but it took a potential sacrifice along the backline to make it happen.

Success brings other troublesome problems. Trophy-winning players enter the offseason with proof of their worth and are naturally looking for raises. The salary cap kicks in and soon only the most essential team members remain behind while teams rebuild the supporting cast with new, cheaper alternatives.

Additionally, and unlike other American sports with similar systems, MLS teams operate in a global market. Good MLS players often receive offers from abroad, any of which may offer something different competitively than what they get at their current club. This dynamic has also taken hold domestically, with MLS’s new “cash transfer” rule creating a suddenly rich domestic market for players where virtually none existed before.

Last winter saw a dramatic version of this ritual. A decade after their most recent title, the LA Galaxy went all-in in 2024 and were rewarded with the franchise’s record sixth MLS Cup triumph. A fall was probably inevitable once star midfielder Riqui Puig tore his ACL in the conference finals, but the real hammer blows came later. Star forward Dejan Joveljic has been sold to Sporting Kansas City. Two of the three midfielders who started in MLS Cup quickly left, while local starlet Jalen Neal was traded to recoup funds needed for the rebuild. The team found more economical alternatives and began the 2025 season with a historic period of futility.

A year later, Miami’s situation could hardly be more different. The Herons lost two pillars due to retirement (Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets), and another (Luis Suárez) is only expected to return in a rotation role. That left them with big questions at left back, defensive midfielder and striker, to go along with the needed improvement to one of the worst goalkeeping depth charts in the league.

Unlike every other MLS Cup champion before them, they also have Lionel Messi. This offseason, the Argentine has proven he has enough gravitas to get players to accept a lower salary than they otherwise would have had to join him in Miami; and the club is reaping the benefits.

Their problems in goal were immediately solved by the signing of Dayne St Clair, Canada’s likely World Cup starter who just won Goalkeeper of the Year honors. The St Paul Pioneer Press reported that his former club, Minnesota United, offered a seven-figure salary but saw its star goalkeeper join Miami for “significantly less” than the Loons’ offer.

Former Tottenham player Sergio Reguilón replaces his compatriot at left-back, while defensive midfielder David Ayala and defender Micael bring high-end MLS experience to South Beach. And as an attacker, Miami has not weakened: in comes Berterame, who has been one of the best attackers in Liga MX since joining Monterrey in 2022.

Any of these signings could have counted as a marquee addition for any number of MLS teams. For Miami, they simply meet the needs.

These types of sweetheart deals aren’t necessarily new for Miami. Last season, despite not having an open DP slot, Miami was able to work with Atlético Madrid on a loan deal that kept Rodrigo de Paul below the designated player threshold until the end of the MLS season in December, when an obligation to purchase the Argentina international for €15 million was activated. Today, he is one of the team’s three star players and theoretically earns a salary a little closer to what he earned in Spain. His exact compensation will be made public when the MLS Players Association releases its salary data in the spring. His hit for 2025, as announced Oct. 1, was a base salary of $1.5 million — just below the designated player threshold of $1.74 million — but it brought guaranteed compensation (accounting for marketing bonuses and agent fees) of $3.6 million from Miami.

Simply, Miami can respect the famous MLS rules in a way that no rival can imitate. They don’t need to make the tradeoffs faced by the other 29 teams in MLS, as well as much of the world. The chance to play with Messi factors into what Miami HR might as well call a “total compensation package.” They can sign the best goalkeeper in the league at a discounted rate, even though that may hurt the market valuation of good MLS goalkeepers (a scenario that Major League Baseball’s players’ union prevented two decades ago when Alex Rodriguez had his eyes on Boston).

Miami’s lure also complicates their rivals’ offseason. Before focusing on Berterame, Miami would have tried to call on Denis Bouanga, triple winger of the best XI, from Los Angeles FC. Never mind that LAFC just signed the second most famous player in MLS, Son Heung-min. Instead, Bouanga cryptically reposted insinuations that he feels let down by his club.

Then compare Miami’s offseason to finalists Vancouver, whose roster includes its own certified modern legend, Thomas Müller. Two of their three most dynamic wingers left in the weeks following the MLS Cup, with Jayden Nelson traded to Austin and Ali Ahmed sold to Norwich City. Rayan Elloumi, 18, from the country, will likely take over many of his old minutes. Their star defender (Tristan Blackmon) would like to join a club closer to the palm trees.

On the one hand, this is an exciting test of MLS rules and restrictions. But don’t misinterpret this as evidence of a new era for MLS team building. Whenever Messi plays his final game, Miami will almost certainly face the same obstacles that the other 29 teams must overcome to succeed.

Until then, this is an invaluable variable that the rest of the league simply can’t compete with.