Can Anyone Stop Inter Miami?

Reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami are back from the offseason looking stronger than ever. But the likes of LAFC, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Diego and others will do all they can to derail the Miami juggernaut.

The champagne and beer that later would dampen Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas’s suit weren’t even on ice. Already, he was thinking about how to make his team even better.

“We’re already preparing for ’26,” he conceded before the Herons beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 to win its first-ever MLS Cup. “The goal is to win the Concacaf Champions Cup and I obviously want to go into the year with a starting XI that is super loaded.”

After lifting the trophy, the message hadn’t changed.. “We’ll reload and we’ll defend in ’26,” he said.

| Lionel Messi (Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images), Thomas Müller (Omar Vega/Getty Images), Eddie Segura (Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images), Gabriel Pec (Fernando Leon/ISI Photos/Getty Images), Pedro Amador (Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images), Luca Bombino (Joe Scarnici - Leagues Cup/MLS via Getty Images)

Mas made good on those promises, as he and his sporting staff assembled a roster that will complement star Lionel Messi, even after the retirements of two of his most important Inter Miami teammates. They have made eyebrow-raising moves that have rival fans questioning whether they’re following the salary cap rules, and have made rival sporting directors wish they could find a recruiting tool half as effective as the promise of playing alongside Messi.

In a league that long has prioritized parity above all else, there rarely has been a giant, that team that everyone is looking to slay. Spain has its big two, France and Germany have one.

Now, MLS finally has a bad guy of its own.

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A Wise Winter Window Means a Savvy Rebuild

Miami has reinforced its defense with new goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (back right) and left back Sergio Reguilon (third from right, bottom row) among others. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Inter Miami is looking to defend its MLS title, hoping to win the Concacaf Champions Cup and do it while opening a new stadium near the Miami airport that will take the club out of a makeshift home in Fort Lauderdale and into something that more closely resembles the gleaming venues that served as the settings for many of Messi’s finest moments.

After Miami’s MLS Cup win, there looked to be an opening for rivals—and there are plenty who will still challenge Messi for the crown. The first wave of Messi’s former teammates who joined him in MLS were hanging up the boots. Left back Jordi Alba and midfielder Sergio Busquets retired, leaving two gaps in the starting XI that paced Miami to the title. Luis Suárez is returning, but his effectiveness waned, leading manager Javier Mascherano to put him on the bench for the back half of the 2025 campaign.

Yet, a savvy offseason from Inter Miami’s front office sees Messi again surrounded by top talent, making them the favorite to repeat as champions heading into the season.

The Herons signed Germán Berterame on a designated player deal, bringing in a forward to start in front of Suárez and allow Messi to continue playing the playmaker role where he’s at his best. Sergio Reguilón, a left back with European experience, came in to replace Alba and Miami traded for proven MLS midfielder David Ayala, who slots in next to Rodrigo De Paul.

Plus, Miami was able to woo Dayne St. Clair, the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, add center back Micael and retain winger Tadeo Allende and do it all while staying within MLS’ strict salary regulations.

Miami have brought in more firepower by signing prolific Mexican national team striker Germán Berterame from Liga MX side Monterrey. | Aizar RALDES/AFP/Getty Images

The story of David and Goliath, of course, ends with the giant falling, and Messi’s Miami has hardly been invincible since his arrival. While the club stormed through its first tournament with Messi & Co. present, winning the Leagues Cup, it has been unable to find success on the international level.

The strategy has gone far beyond simply relying on Messi, who sustained a hamstring injury last week that led to the cancellation of the final preseason contest. Even when Messi has been unable to take the field, Miami generally has been able to keep pace. Yet, problems at the back have often been their undoing. That unit was brilliantly bolstered, but center back Maximiliano Falcón remains a wild card who teams will look to target. Right back Marcelo Weigandt has moved on, but teams likely will continue to look to exploit that side of Miami’s defense when game-planning.

While Messi is certainly used to dealing with the weight of expectation, there may also be concern that this team could struggle with the brightest spotlight ever put on an MLS team.

“I’ve had pressure since day one,” Mascherano said during the preseason. “It was there last year, too. I think this club is very demanding and clearly the mentality of the club, the owners, the players, all of us who make up part of the club is to keep winning trophies.”

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The New Bad Guys

Miami attacker Luis Suárez (right) in conflict with Seattle Sounders head of security. | Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Miami continuing to win would be the quickest route to embracing the “Us against the world” mentality, but that already is percolating.

When Messi arrived in MLS, most fans knew his face would be everywhere—on promotional materials, on the league’s website, on TV advertisements. But even those who couldn’t care less about the eternal debate of whether he or Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player of the generation have tired of seeing him everywhere.

It hasn’t always come with obvious benefits. Messi speaks only rarely to the press, one time surprising one of the league’s TV reporters after the match to take the mic and complain about officiating. When the league wants him at an event, however, he has not always been there, eschewing the annual All-Star Game even as others make the effort to travel and perform at the league’s annual showcase.

While the superstar remains low key and has many fans in North America, the same can’t be said of many of his teammates. Even for a player with Suárez’s reputation, his antics after Inter Miami lost the Leagues Cup final to the Seattle Sounders were infuriating. The former Liverpool forward spat on Gene Ramirez, a former police officer with a white goatee who now is the Sounders’ head of security. Sergio Busquets was involved in the incident, throwing punches at players—including rising MLS star Obed Vargas who has now signed with Atlético Madrid.

The league handed down suspensions for both Messi’s All-Star absence and Suárez’s spit in the face of an older gentleman, but fans felt both got off easier than they would have if they were wearing any color other than pink.

Inter Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul (left) brings a combative spirit and canny knowhow to give his team the edge. | Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images

Some of the dark arts, whether De Paul aggressively protecting Messi during and after play, little kicks of the ball away to waste time and other cheeky tactics to gain the smallest advantage. Other teams do that too, but when a team is already framed as the bad guy, those moments are only more galling.

Clearly, Miami feels it is apart from MLS. It strains against the rules or outright ignores them, daring MLS commissioner Don Garber to issue a fine or suspension.

There even are efforts for Miami to break away and play the Copa Libertadores, South America’s Champions League. Never mind that Miami hasn’t been able to win the Concacaf Champions Cup, which currently serves as the continental club championship. Already, Miami was gifted a place in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup based more on reputation than anything earned on the field.

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They’re Only Getting Stronger

Miami manager Javier Mascherano (left) has grown in confidence and impact during his time in south Florida. | Connie FRANCE/AFP/Getty Image

Yet, the last season saw a team that clearly is coming together where it matters, with performances beginning to align with attitude.

Suárez's suspension was a blessing in disguise, giving Mascherano the look he needed at how the team could function without the Uruguayan up top. The answer? Better. Whether Messi was in a false 9 role or working with a different forward, Miami’s attack revved to life without the aging Suárez. Now, the idea is Berterame can start up top, putting Messi back as a playmaker where he doesn’t have to cover as much ground and can set up goalscorers.

It was one of many lessons for Mascherano, a coach now entering only his second year leading professionals. He never had trouble being assertive as a midfielder but found his voice down the stretch. While he’s still getting accustomed to the job, he's improving as a tactician and better understands when he needs to stand up to experienced players—even when they're his friends.

What he was able to do was convince Miami that they were never out of a game. The MLS Cup final followed a somewhat familiar formula: a languid first hour in which Miami took the lead but then conceded. The team then slipped into gear and gunned past the Whitecaps, winning 3–1. That’s a formula Miami would rather avoid—though it’s better to win in that way than to tie after controlling a game.

Still, that formula of an attitude of being better than any other team in the competition, backed by the biggest roster spend and a home-field advantage that should be doubled or tripled when the new stadium opens later this spring makes Messi & Co. a compelling team to watch—whether fans around the country are backing them or hate-watching.

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Son, James and the Chasing Pack

LAFC (with Heung-Min Son, right) and Vancouver Whitecaps (Tristan Blackmon) will likely push Miami the hardest. | Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

Messi is not the only star playing in MLS, nor is he the only big name with significant talent around him, and plenty of teams will look to spoil Miami’s year by pushing to win the league.

Perhaps a Hollywood ending is coming. Los Angeles FC is looking forward to its first full season with Son Heung-min, who was superb after arriving from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. The South Korea international scored a dozen goals in 13 appearances between regular season and playoffs games. LAFC also was able to fend off offers from Denis Bouanga, assuring the team’s dynamic duo stays together despite interest from clubs in Brazil—and, reportedly even a bid from Inter Miami.

Yet, there are questions about LAFC’s ability to harness its talent. Marc Dos Santos takes over as manager after serving as Steve Cherundolo’s assistant for the last four seasons. He had success as a head coach in lower divisions, but this is the biggest job he’s taken on.

Last season, it was the Vancouver Whitecaps who nearly became the best story in the league. Up for sale and at risk of relocation, the Caps went to the final of the CCC and MLS Cup—initially forming something of a motley crew of unknowns but adding German legend Thomas Müller during the summer.

Thomas Müller (second left) has inspired his Vancouver Whitecaps team since joining from Bayern Munich. | Sam Hodde/Getty Images

The Bayern Munich veteran remains in British Columbia and will have a full preseason after getting to know the league. Creative players Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson both have moved on, though the Caps hope to cover those losses by bringing in Africa Cup of Nations winner Cheikh Sabaly. The off-field issues have not been resolved, and BC Place’s availability is even worse than usual this year because of the World Cup coming to town. Those are hurdles manager Jesper Sørensen was able to get his club to leap over last year. We’ll see if this year can be the same.

While Inter Miami’s actual rivals in Florida, Orlando City, and fellow regional adversary Atlanta United are both in rebuilding mode, another southern team has become a frequent foe. Inter Miami beat Nashville in the 2023 Leagues Cup final for its first trophy win of the Messi era and got past the Coyotes in the first round of the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs on the way to their MLS Cup triumph—though it took three games to do it.

Nashville had one of the most interesting offseasons in MLS, adding Argentine attacker Cristian Espinoza after he spent six productive seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes. He’ll take some of the burden off the creative Hany Mukhtar and forward Sam Surridge, who pushed Messi in the Golden Boot race with 24 goals last regular season. (Messi beat him by five goals.)

Other teams also will make a charge to deny Miami another title. The Seattle Sounders remain a well-oiled machine that contends in nearly any tournament it finds itself in. The Philadelphia Union won the Supporters’ Shield with the best regular season record in 2025 before fading in the playoffs. Minnesota United lost its coach to a club in the English Championship (West Bromwich Albion), its goalkeeper to Inter Miami and a club legend to the Chicago Fire in free agency but it made a huge splash by bringing in James Rodríguez. The Colombia star will be eager to get into form before the World Cup and could flourish in a scheme that encourages set pieces.

While some teams are going all in on big names, San Diego FC is taking the opposite approach. It has frozen out Hirving Lozano, the Mexico star the club brought in as its first signing. Anders Dreyer remains and has already pushed the club to a Concacaf Champions Cup series win over historic Liga MX club Pumas.

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MLS Drama More Compelling With Miami Playing the ‘Bad Guy’

Inter Miami brings added spice to the MLS and it’s all the better for it. | Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

This interplay between the increasingly sinister Miami, a team everyone outside of its fan base loves to hate, and their other contenders will have several chapters this season. With the push for the Concacaf Champions Cup early, the World Cup break in the middle, Leagues Cup once again interspersed in the season and then the stretch playoff run.

Each team will have its highs and lows. The other competitions will serve as springboards or speed bumps for the squads in MLS play.

As the weekend approaches, with Inter Miami traveling to meet LAFC at the Coliseum, everyone is watching with anticipation to see if the team Mas & Co. built can be anywhere near as good on the field as it looks on paper.

MLS has seen super teams before. Stars have come and gone. Teams have mounted strong title defenses—three times they’ve been successful. But this is the first time MLS has seen a team like this, a champion that only appears to be getting stronger and one that provokes a visceral reaction in so many contenders.

The league finally has a villain. MLS is better for it.

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