The First Three Key Tasks For Inter Miami’s New Manager

Inter Miami are ready for a new era. After snapping a five-game winless skid across all competitions with their largest win in club history, a 7–1 thrashing against CF Montréal, the club is ready to welcome its fourth-straight Argentine manager in the Lionel Messi era, Cristian “Kily” González.

Once a teammate of Messi on the Argentine national team and having only coached in Argentina, González will take on the massive challenge of pushing Miami back to the top of MLS, with the team having failed to beat a side above the current MLS Cup playoff bar in more than a month. With hopes of chasing trophies, González will need to lead the group beyond his career coaching win percentage of 32%.

It’s not an impossible task for him and the new staff as they take over from a mediocre tenure under interim manager Guillermo Hoyos and will be able to lean on 18 goals and 10 assists through 19 games for Lionel Messi, but it’s not straightforward, either.

Here, Sports Illustrated takes a look at three things González and his new staff will need to do once they take on the roles in South Florida.

Defining a Focus for 2026 and Beyond

Lionel Messi’s heroics haven’t been enough to save Inter Miami this season. | Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Since Inter Miami signed Messi in 2023, the co-ownership group of Jorge and José Mas, alongside David Beckham, has had a key focus. First was, of course, to sign Messi. After that, it quickly became to win a trophy, then win the Supporters’ Shield, then MLS Cup and ahead of this year’s campaign, they highlighted continental glory in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Now with González at the helm, there’s no stated goal and nothing on offer that the core of this team hasn’t already won. Already this season, they’ve fallen short of the Leagues Cup and Champions Cup, and appear well out of the Supporters’ Shield race, trailing 10 points behind Nashville SC’s remarkable campaign, which could smash Miami’s 2024 all-time points record.

The goal must be defending MLS Cup now, but as a coaching staff that hopes to be in the role beyond the short term, outlining the next steps in the club’s journey is key. If it is indeed another MLS Cup run, how does that impact regular-season personnel choices? If it is the best form and a record chase for Messi, how does that change the outlook among the fans?

With the new 2027 14-game MLS sprint season kicking off in February and the chance to compete for two MLS Cup titles within six months, Miami need a sense of direction and ambition, which they lack beyond a hope of qualifying for next year’s Champions Cup and making another attempt at regional domination.

Sort Out the Center Backs

Maxi Falcón, Inter Miami — Maxi Falcón’s footspeed is not up to MLS standards. | Leonardo Fernandez/MLS/Getty Images

Inter Miami have experienced plenty of highs in the three seasons with Messi on the roster, but the one role that has constantly struggled has been in the heart of defense. Yet, neither 2024 nor 2025 can match the frailties the team faces in the position in 2026, with the likes of Micael, Maxi Falcón and Gonzalo Luján all making glaring errors at times.

By the time González enters the fold, he won’t have time to push management to add in the transfer window, but he can adapt the team’s setup to suit the available players best and limit mistakes from the position.

In the win over CF Montréal, Casemiro performed admirably in the role and provided a calming presence, while posting six clearances and nine defensive actions, a performance well beyond that of the true central defenders for much of this season.

While Falcón started alongside him and Luján and Micael were unavailable due to injury, a possible future path could see Casemiro more consistently in the role, either with Luján, Micael or even left back Noah Allen, who adapted to a center back role in the run through last season’s MLS Cup playoffs.

Regardless of which personnel González lands on for the heart of the backline, finding consistency and figuring out the best pairing to set goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair up for success will be vital to the team’s lofty ambitions.

Integrating Returning Players from Injury

Mateo Silvetti could play an important role once he is back to full fitness. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Injuries haven’t been friendly to Miami this season, with Tadeo Allende taken down by a knee injury after failing to perform up to the level he showed in last year’s playoffs early in the season and Mateo Silvetti also suffering a knock in Leagues Cup.

While Allende’s return may have to wait, Silvetti is nearing fitness and could come back into the lineup. The question for González, though, will be how he re-integrates the technically gifted winger into the squad, while balancing the need for lineup cohesion and player development with the fact that some of the team’s veterans are among the standouts.

The key here will be the involvement of Luis Suárez and Germán Berterame, who have performed at times in 2026 but have struggled to form a potent partnership. Berterame, despite being younger and acquired for $15 million in the offseason, could be the one to see his playing time dwindle after struggling in a wider role, where Silvetti thrives, in recent weeks.

If González opts to lean fully on Suárez as the top central attacking option, though, it could set the team up for failure, given the 39-year-old’s injury risk and the possibility he may not be able to keep up with the increased pace of play in the postseason. So while a Suárez-led frontline could thrive in the regular season, Berterame might be the one for the postseason—and it all hinges on Silvetti’s potential, should the team stick with the front three setup.

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