Inter Miami: MLS Cup or Bust, and the Future of Messi and Co. | OneFootball

With the recent retirement announcements of Spanish superstars Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, Inter Miami are looking to end a disappointing 2025 campaign on a high with the MLS Cup — and position themselves for a brighter 2026…hopefully.

It’s been a largely disappointing season for Inter Miami. The club entered the year with ambitions of winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup, MLS Supporters’ Shield, Leagues Cup, and MLS Cup.

So far, the Herons have come up empty-handed, with only one trophy left to contend for.

Miami was run off the field by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the CCC semifinals, and while the club reached the Leagues Cup final, it was outplayed by another Cascadia side, losing to the Seattle Sounders 3-0.

The Philadelphia Union, a team with a payroll $33 million less than Miami, has locked up the Supporters’ Shield. All that’s left is the MLS Cup.

Today, the standings are a bit kinder to Javier Mascherano’s side. After hovering around mid-table for much of the season, Miami now sit third in the MLS East with one match left to play — thanks almost entirely to Lionel Messi. The world’s greatest player has carried a disjointed side through sheer brilliance, contributing to goals in 19 of the 27 games he has played this year. His recent performance against the New England Revolution, where he tallied three assists in a 4–1 win, was another masterclass.

Messi’s heroics have covered up a poor season from Luis Suárez — who has just 10 goals in 2025 after netting 20 last year — and inconsistency from Tadeo Allende, who remains prone to hot-and-cold spells despite a stronger finish to the season.

Behind the highlight reel moments of Messi and the marquee signing of Rodrigo De Paul lies a team with serious issues. Mascherano has been unable to build a reliable defense — Inter Miami have kept only six clean sheets all year and have conceded two or more goals in 12 MLS matches.

Adding to the frustration, the club’s brightest young prospect, Benjamin Cremaschi, was loaned to Serie A side Parma after a sort of falling out with Mascherano over his position on the field. The U.S. youth international starred at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, netting five goals and serving as a painful reminder of talent lost and poor personnel decisions.

On paper, Inter Miami remain alive for the one trophy that matters most to MLS fans. But dig deeper, and the season reads like a series of failures in every major competition. Their only true highlight might be a 2–1 upset win over FC Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup — a brief moment of pride that saw them reach the knockout stage in a competition that was not kind to MLS sides.

Urban Pitch contributor Favian Renkel summed up Miami’s year as one of bitter disappointment.

“This season has been a mix of hot and cold emotions,” Renkel said. “While they were the only MLS team ever to beat a European club in a competitive match, Miami remains trophy-less heading into the playoffs and were humiliated in the Leagues Cup Final. This group came to MLS to win trophies, and the front office replaced Tata Martino for that exact reason.

“Javier Mascherano has failed miserably so far in terms of silverware. It’s MLS Cup or bust for Inter Miami — and even Messi knows it. Look at his demeanor after the Union won the Shield: the GOAT wants to win everything. This team, with one of the best rosters in MLS, is empty-handed. Mascherano is on the hot seat, and if Miami don’t win the MLS Cup, expect big changes.”

The Sun Sets on Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets

🔗 Instagram

🔗 Instagram

The retirements of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets should ultimately be seen as a positive. Their departures free up nearly $15 million in wages, and at ages 36 and 37 respectively, it was time for Miami to get younger — and hopefully better.

Alba will go down as arguably the best fullback in MLS history. Aside from Messi, no other European import adapted so seamlessly to the league. A constant attacking threat and leader, Alba will be sorely missed and leaves behind a high standard for his replacement.

Busquets’ time in MLS was more complicated. While his passing and football IQ allowed him to maintain a certain level, his lack of pace and physical decline were clear. He managed to preserve his reputation by keeping things simple, but his MLS stint, while dignified, was underwhelming overall.

Looking ahead to 2026, De Paul will take Busquets’ DP slot, but the club must still find another high-caliber addition — ideally a defender or attacker — to strengthen a fragile squad. And with rumors suggesting Suárez could stay another year despite his sharp decline, Miami risks repeating old mistakes.

At the moment, Inter Miami remain a one-trick pony, heavily reliant on Messi. To succeed in 2026, the Herons need faster, more dynamic support around their captain.

What Inter Miami Need to Do in 2026

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

There isn’t some complex strategy or formula to fix the issues at Inter Miami. Renkel sees the path forward clearly.

“The club needs to overhaul its defense and bring in players in their prime,” Renkel said. “The Herons looked exhausted this year. Depth is always hard to build in MLS, but Miami must find a way. Mascherano also needs to better integrate new players and learn to rest Messi for key matches. I think Miami could still trade away some assets to gather GAM — there are plenty of MLS teams that would take players who didn’t quite fit in Heron pink.”

Across the roster, no one appears safe. Suarez, Allende, Rocco Ríos Novo, William Yarbrough, Fafà Picault, Marcelo Weigandt, Yannick Bright, Ryan Sailor, Ian Fray, David Ruiz, Baltasar Rodríguez, and Allen Obando are all out of contract or have expiring loans in 2026.

Ruiz, Rodríguez, and Bright should be top priorities for long-term deals — the rest may receive a polite “thank you” on their way out.

Then there’s the shadow of Messi. His contract also expires at the end of 2025, and though reports say a new multi-year deal is close, negotiations have dragged due to their complexity.

If Messi stays, the team must reinforce its defense — ideally adding a strong partner for Maximiliano Falcón — and offload Tomás Avilés, who has disappointed. A world-class striker to replace Suárez should also be at the top of the list, along with another high-quality winger to complement Telasco Segovia and the young Mateo Silvetti. But any roster move will have to balance one crucial factor: how it affects Messi both personally and on the field.

Messi’s feel good story of being the GOAT on a team of MLS riffraff was one for the ages when he first arrived in the league, but since the team got too big for its own ego, the project after its initial Leagues Cup success has stalled, and fast.

Reports from Argentina suggest Messi and his management exert significant influence over club decisions. Perhaps these retirements and expiring contracts signal Jorge Mas and David Beckham’s attempt to reassert control over their team.

If so, it’s now up to Messi to believe in the Inter Miami project — not the Messi project at Inter Miami. Beckham faced a similar situation with the LA Galaxy, and his tenure didn’t truly succeed until the club took back control and installed Bruce Arena, who led Beckham to his best MLS years.

As 2025 winds down, Messi continues to show he’s still the best player on the planet, but his frustrated expressions tell another story — one of unmet standards and wasted opportunities.

However this season ends, it feels like the end of an era: the “Messi has landed” phase is nearly over. Entering 2026, Messi and Inter Miami have a final chance to evolve — to move from “Messi and pals” to a real, cohesive contender. But after two years of missteps, the question remains: can the club finally get it right?