MLS legend Taylor Twellman speaks about what the future holds for Inter Miami (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)
Each of the three highest-ranked teams in MLS’ Eastern Conference were eliminated in the best-of-three Round of 16 of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Both third-placed Cincinnati and reigning champions Columbus Crew lost on penalties in a third-match tiebreaker against New York City FC and New York Red Bulls, respectively. But, while Pat Noonan and Wilfried Nancy are expected to continue their managerial spells in Ohio, Tata Martino will not be sticking around in Florida after resigning from his post as Inter Miami manager.
“The only way I’d have been 100% convinced that Martino would be back with Miami in 2025 is if they won the MLS Cup,” said Apple TV commentator Taylor Twellman to RG. “The moment they lost to Atlanta, everyone realized he wasn’t returning. Part of the reason why I love Tata is because he’s a stubborn old man who’s going to do it one way – his way – but that ended up biting him.”
Martino had previously coached Lionel Messi on two occasions, spending a trophyless 2013-14 season at Barcelona before taking the reins of Argentina’s national team, where he led them to back-to-back trips to the Copa América Final.
Martino would then try his luck in MLS, overseeing the first two seasons of Atlanta United’s existence before riding off in the sunset on the back of winning the 2018 MLS Cup. After a three-year spell with the Mexico national team, Martino returned to the United States in June 2023 and reunited with Messi in Florida, where he managed to ride the new managerial bounce all the way to a Leagues Cup triumph.
However, whilst he managed to secure Inter Miami’s first three titles – the Leagues Cup, Eastern Conference regular season title, and the Supporters’ Shield – thanks in large part to Miami’s South American duo in attack, he failed to come up with an adequate way to compensate for their lack of defensive commitment.
Inter Miami’s Complicated History In MLS
Inter Miami has always been linked to star power, going all the way back to 2007 when LA Galaxy signed David Beckham from Real Madrid. In order to entice him to become MLS’ first global superstar, the league was forced to bend their own rules and create the Designated Player rule, which allowed teams to exceed their salary cap for a select few players.
Beckham penned a five-year deal with the Galaxy that would see him earn an annual salary of $6.5 million, but included another key clause in his deal that would pave the way for the birth of Inter Miami.
On top of a very handsome salary, Beckham was also given the option of buying an MLS expansion franchise in any market except New York City at the fixed price of $25 million whenever he retired; something that the league's owners had never given to a player before. Upon retiring in 2013, Beckham quickly began the process of preparing the expansion process, ultimately exercising the most valuable part of his MLS venture immediately after retiring and bringing a team to Miami in January of 2018.
Inter Miami struggled in their first two seasons, finishing 19th and 20th in the overall MLS standings for 2020 and 2021, while also subject to an MLS investigation for the signing of Blaise Matuidi.
Teams are permitted no more than three Designated Players (DP), and Miami were found to have incorrectly registered Matuidi and Andrés Reyes, both of whom should have occupied a DP slot. Miami also underreported salary budget amounts for players Leandro González Pirez, Nicolás Figal and Julián Carranza.
The league came down hard on Miami, fining them $2 million, as well as docking managing owner, Jorge Mas, $250,000 and suspending Inter Miami sporting director, Paul McDonough, through the end of the 2022 MLS season.
Despite these sanctions, Miami was able to finish 6th in the East and make it to the playoffs for the first time ever, only to lose 3-0 to New York City FC in the first round. And whilst they fell to bottom of the league after a horrendous start to 2023, the mid-season arrival of Messi proved a turning point.
“It was difficult for the ownership and former manager Phil Neville to move forward because, on the one hand, you had past issues that turned into regulations and restrictions for future years, but in those future years, they were also negotiating with Lionel Messi,” said Twellman. “It was difficult for them to say, ‘Ok, well we can navigate this circumstance now, but if we do that, do we jeopardize the ability to really resurrect the team and club when Messi is available?’ I honestly think they did a really good job of not being a prisoner of the moment and understanding that they needed to play the long game with Messi, Busquets, Alba and co. coming.”
Major Overhaul In Miami Coming
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Inter Miami, but one thing’s for sure: they will be competing in the FIFA Club World Cup next summer. The international tournament will return after a two-year hiatus, only this time, it will be featuring 32 teams – 25 more than the previous edition – including the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and Chelsea.
The host nation will not be represented by LAFC or Columbus Crew – who won the MLS Cup in 2022 and 2023, respectively – but instead, a team that was sent packing in the first round of the playoffs.
“MLS gave FIFA strong indications about which teams, in their mind, should go, but no one’s that surprised,” stated Twellman.
“FIFA’s going to do what FIFA wants to do. If anyone’s surprised that the opening game of this inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, which is in Miami, will be starring the greatest player of all time, then nobody’s paying attention. Do I think Columbus and LAFC fans have a strong argument? Yes. But it’s hard to be cynical about a tournament that’s never happened before. This is a new format, with a new amount of teams, but when the tournament kicks off next summer, I don’t know if anyone’s going to be complaining.”
After embarking on a lengthy 2024 preseason tour that ranged from El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong to Japan, Inter Miami may very well be looking to diminish their travel itinerary as they attempt to minimize fixture congestion and the added effects of having one of the oldest squads in MLS.
The Herons now have three months to rebuild a squad that will likely be losing Paraguayan youngster Diego Gómez to Brighton. Despite their hands are tied somewhat due to the league’s salary cap restrictions, they should be more than capable of reinforcing a backline that conceded 57.6 expected goals (the seventh-worst tally in MLS) and finding a long-term partner to Tomás Avilés in central defense.
Between Lionel Messi (37), Luis Suárez (37), Sergio Busquets (36), and Jordi Alba (35), time is running out for Inter Miami’s veteran core to make the most out of their window before it closes. Despite the core growing in age, club owner Jorge Mas stated his intention to keep hold of Messi past his current contract expiry.
"He’s under contract through 2025. Leo and I will sit, and we’ll discuss the future. I fully expect that in the opening of our new stadium in 2026 in Miami and the opening of our 2026 season, hopefully after a trophy-laden 2025 season, Messi will be our #10.”
The first step has been made. Inter Miami landed on another Argentinian – Javier Mascherano as head coach. One decade after winning the treble alongside Messi, Busquets, Alba and Suárez, can Mascherano lead Inter Miami to the finish line?
Zach Lowy
