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

BOn February 27, 2020, a few days before Inter Miami’s first-ever MLS match, I stood next to the club’s owner-manager Jorge Mas and co-owner David Beckham at an MLS press conference in New York. I was there for Sports Illustrated and my show Planet Fútbol TV, which I co-hosted with my friend, the late Grant Wahl. We were adamant that Inter Miami’s story was compelling, not only because of Beckham’s influence in MLS, but also because his new club was poised to introduce the unique culture of Miami and South Florida – the Latin American capital of the world – to the league.

The 2020 conversation was my second meeting with Mas and my first with Beckham. I remember the feeling of excitement from both men, knowing that this Inter Miami project – seven years in the making before their league debut – was about to come to fruition after a long and arduous journey. From legal battles with Internazionale over trademarking the word “Inter” to political and structural issues as they attempted to make a stadium, Miami Freedom Park, a reality. Now, the club was finally beginning its life in MLS.

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

A ball hadn’t 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,” for 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 everyone who wanted to talk to me about Messi’s crowning as the town’s new son. 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 Messi’s summer. The Argentine, 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 when I met Messi for the first time and interviewed him. My first question was simple: “I’ve never seen you so happy. Is that why you’re here?”

Without a pause, he said yes.

“This is what we were looking for after having had two difficult years [at PSG]”, he said. “And now we are happy, not only because of what is happening on the field, but also because of my family, our lifestyle and the way we spend our time.

Alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and his three children, a true sense of community was built for Messi. Many of his teammates are also good friends. His children are happy with the academy and his own empire continues to grow alongside massive contracts with Apple and Adidas. He is directing commercials for Michelob Ultra and Lowe’s and growing his brand and reputation in the United States, which is especially important as the Men’s World Cup takes place in the United States next summer.

But Messi and Inter Miami want more. That’s why this season has been marked by significant changes on and off the field.

We realized that the league is a two-headed monster and as such, you need a strong team with two mindsets – one for the regular season and one for the playoffs. The MLS is not a marathon, it is a triathlon which offers clubs multiple challenges. Until this season, the club wasn’t quite ready. Last season, under Gerardo “Tata” Martino, Messi won the MLS MVP award but the club lost in the first round of the playoffs to Atlanta United. Questions were raised about the Inter Miami project and it was clear that Messi alone – especially as he nears retirement – cannot do it alone.

After athletic director Chris Henderson left in 2024, the role — and others — became a hot potato until Guillermo Hoyos was named athletic director. Hoyos is considered Messi’s “godfather of football” due to a shared history dating back to La Masia, Barcelona’s academy. He is a man in whom Messi fully trusts. Next, it was necessary to find a manager who not only understood Messi on and off the pitch, but who could also create a team that would allow Inter Miami to reach their full potential.

Javier Mascherano, fresh from the Olympics with Argentina’s under-23 team, was the choice, having known Messi personally and professionally through his years at Barcelona and Argentina. The problem was he had never managed a club before. But at this point, it seems like the positives far 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 that this club is just a marketing tool with Messi at the helm. This misses a complete picture. The club also has an evolving academy, focusing on local talent who can eventually break into the first team, such as 23-year-old Ian Fray, a local defender who earned his first call-up for Jamaica in October. Another is Benjamin Cremaschi, on loan to Parma and an important player on the US youth national teams.

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

The roster is a perfect blend of experience and youth, sprinkled with a strong dose of Argentinian and Latin American character that works. with Messi, not for him. Between Tadeo Allende (on loan from Celta Vigo) and Mateo Silvetti, 19, from Messi’s boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, it is a cohesive and diverse unit. And when you add Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba (who will both retire after the 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 much this team has progressed under Mascherano.

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

But this final is not limited to these two men; Vancouver represents a real threat. The Canadians collected a record 63 points in the regular season, reached the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup (defeating Miami in the semifinals), and won a fourth consecutive Canadian Championship. And all this happened in Jesper Sørensen’s first season as coach.

Ultimately, however, Inter Miami knows that hosting the MLS Cup will give them an advantage. Expect a bustling Chase Stadium, which will host Inter Miami’s final home game. Messi recently extended his stay at Inter Miami until 2028, which also means 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 new home of the club hosting the MLS Cup.

• Luis Miguel Echegaray is a writer, analyst and host specializing in soccer and sports-related content that also appeals to Latin American audiences. He has previously worked at ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and returns to the Guardian as a contributor.