How do the Herons plan to stay on top after Messi?
As pink lights lit up Nu Stadium and deafening chants from the supporters' section echoed throughout the stands, Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham made his way to the field to address the thousands of fans in attendance for the inauguration of a 12-year promise.Holding back tears, Beckham looked around at the 26,700-seat venue he'd worked to construct since the day he announced Miami would be the home of his MLS franchise in 2014."We had no name, we had no fans, we had no stadium," Beckham said from midfield. "Today, I stand in our new home. We are champions of MLS. We have the best player in the history of the game playing in Miami. Dreams really can come true."Beckham made two promises to fans when entering the league: a stadium would be built in Miami, and the club would sign the world's best footballers to play in it. On April 4, as Lionel Messi led Inter Miami on to the field, Beckham finally fulfilled those dreams.Beckham, along with co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas, then watched in awe as pink fireworks streaked skyward and a tifo unraveled, revealing the words "Aquí empieza una nueva era," meaning, "Today starts a new era."Inter Miami built their identity on the premise of signing Messi and making Nu Stadium a reality, but despite achieving two foundational objectives, the internal demand for more continues. Now they must work toward the next big milestone without a permanent head coach.Navigating what's next without MascheranoEditor's PicksJavier Mascherano stunned MLS when he quit as Inter Miami coach on April 14, just four months after leading the club to its first MLS Cup. In a statement, he cited "personal reasons" as the motivation for stepping down.Mascherano communicated his decision to club executives after the 2-2 draw against Red Bull New York on April 11, a source confirmed to ESPN. Players didn't find out until they arrived for training the following Monday morning, when they were told that sporting director Guillermo Hoyos would be taking over as coach on an interim basis."At practice we were told, Guillermo introduced himself to the team and said he was taking over and, yeah, that's what it was, we just deal with it and keep going," Inter Miami defender Ian Fray said to reporters last week. He later revealed that he texted Mascherano a heartfelt goodbye after being unable to do so in person.Sources confirmed to ESPN that Mascherano considered stepping down after the MLS Cup triumph in December, but decided to stay on for the beginning of the season. After the draw against RBNY, however, he felt the need to close the Miami chapter in his coaching career and allow the club to start a new story, one source added.Another source told ESPN that the immense expectations on and off the field, and the Concacaf Champions Cup elimination at the hands of Nashville SC last month, all contributed to his decision to leave. Contrary to reports, however, sources confirmed that Mascherano did not have a falling out with Messi or other players on the roster.Hoyos will now lead Miami for the upcoming matches, with no immediate plans for finding a long-term replacement, and he takes under pressure to capitalize on a roster that includes Messi, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, but unlock the potential of $15 million signing Germán Berterame.As the team navigates leadership changes on and off the field, one core tenet remains: Inter Miami must continue to chase greatness.Co-owners the Mas brothers and David Beckham celebrate the opening of Inter Miami's new stadium earlier this month. Leonardo Fernandez/MLS via Getty ImagesCreating a conveyor belt of starsMessi's arrival marked a dramatic change in the trajectory for the club, elevating the standards of everyone who wore Miami pink. Designated Players went from Gonzalo Higuaín and Rodolfo Pizarro in 2022 to FIFA World Cup champions in Messi and Sergio Busquets a year later.With Messi onboard, no name was too big to target; if anything, his signing marked the start of Inter Miami 2.0. Busquets wasn't the only established star of European football to join, as former Barcelona teammates Suárez and Jordi Alba followed in the ensuing weeks and months. But as Busquets and Alba confirmed their retirements after the 2025 season, many fans took to social media to express concern over the possibility that the roster would decline.Mas quickly eased any concerns that the Herons were headed for a return to the Inter Miami 1.0 days of Higuaín & Co. by personally traveling to Spain to recruit reigning World Cup champion Rodrigo De Paul from Atlético Madrid. It was a clear message: the quest for greatness won't stop when Messi retires."It's going to be an evolution of continuing to bring stars here, maybe not one mega star, because Messi is a unique unicorn, but it's about having a team of stars," Mas told ESPN.Why has Javier Mascherano left Inter Miami?Lizzy Becherano reacts to Javier Mascherano's departure from Inter Miami.Mas' desire to sign the best players is currently coupled with a unique selling point: having Messi on the roster. After all, who can say no to playing alongside the GOAT? It's no surprise that since 2023, countless players who have signed with Inter Miami have credited Messi as the motivation for their arrival."[Messi] had the greatness to get deeply involved in the negotiations, especially about a place where he wanted to know if it was on good terms," De Paul told ESPN. "He was very attentive. When it was done, there was a call. As soon as I arrived, Messi came to the club the next morning to meet me, to see what I needed, and how I was. A friendship. It was a super gratifying moment."Although Messi's contract is set to expire after the 2027-28 season, Mas isn't concerned about the club's ability to recruit big names without that star attraction. He has planned ahead: Messi's original deal with Inter Miami included a clause that will make him part of the club's ownership upon retiring. Although he'll no longer be able to attract talent from the field, Messi's continued involvement can help inform a new recruitment strategy."I do anticipate that Lionel Messi's playing days will come to an end," Mas said. "He's in the latter part of his career. And I look at a post-Messi era with that, with bringing stars and having stars here."The one thing I think that the post-Messi era will also bring is the involvement of Lionel Messi. We have the advantage that Messi in his post-playing career will be a partner. It'll be, I think, an important aspect of him continuing to be part of the sport and part of the game."STREAM FUTBOL AMERICAS ON ESPN+Herculez Gomez and Cristina Alexander debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
Beyond the trophies and records, Messi's lasting legacy at Inter Miami will be the way he transformed the club from a bottom-of-the-table team to an internationally recognized organization. In the years to come, when the team doesn't have a stadium inauguration to look forward to or the world's best player to count on, Mas emphasized he will use the club's elevated reputation to chase after the greatest talents.However, Inter Miami must now cement a championship culture while Messi is on the roster if they are to continue growing the club's appeal around the globe.Business is booming, but will that last?In order to keep up with the on-field expectations, Inter Miami must continue to grow financially. President of business operations Xavier Asensi is tasked with supporting Mas' mandate of signing the world's greatest players by scaling the club's business enterprises and wading into new revenue streams. He is preparing for the future of Inter Miami the same way he did for Messi's arrival: by thinking ahead."I don't believe in luck, I think the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity," Asensi told ESPN. "Things happen, or you can make them happen, but you have to be prepared for when they do. Lionel's arrival isn't random; there's work behind it, a strategy and a plan to make it happen. ... You aspire to the highest level, and then, once you're there, you try to do things before, during and after to maximize the impact it can have."A real example is when we signed the main jersey sponsorship agreement in 2021. I included a clause stating that if the club signed a player who had won at least five Ballon d'Or awards, the sponsorship cost would double. That's in the contract. This is a 2021 contract. Therefore, it's proof. Back in 2021, there were already contracts with clauses that prepared the club, and the structure, in case Lionel potentially came here."Every deal made by the team now considers a future without Messi on the field, rather than just the present squad. Inter Miami, for example, just signed a five-year partnership with Adidas. Although the club already used Adidas because of the brand's overarching contract with MLS, this new deal forges an independent relationship between the Three Stripes and the Herons.After lifting MLS Cup in December, manager Javier Mascherano walked away from Inter Miami last week. Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty ImagesThe partnership will go beyond the league-wide kit deal by creating new, unique lines of athletic wear, positioning Miami as one of Adidas' top international clubs. The new contract lasts through 2031, three years after the expiration of Messi's playing contract.With Messi on the field, Inter Miami grew to become the most valuable team in MLS, worth $1.45 billion, according to Sportico. Still, though, Asensi continues to think beyond 2028.Instead of relying on five-time Ballon d'Or clauses, Asensi & Co. are also looking at Nu Stadium and Miami Freedom Park to become the new anchor of upcoming business ventures.Inter Miami recently created Heron Sports & Entertainment, a platform focused on arranging, promoting and producing major entertainment events. The idea is now to use the stadium as a venue for other events beyond Inter Miami matches.The Herons are hardly the first club to think of the business beyond football, following in the footsteps of European giants like Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur in leveraging their stadium as an entertainment venue to generate income on non-matchdays.The Bernabéu, for example, hosted Taylor Swift during the Eras Tour's stop in Madrid, while Spurs are scheduled to welcome Bad Bunny for two nights in June. With MLS pausing action during the World Cup, Miami is bringing Mexican artist Carin León to Nu Stadium in July.It's clear to Inter Miami's front office that there will never be another Messi to revolutionize the club or another stadium to inaugurate. There is no upcoming milestone that will change its trajectory -- for now.With one of North American soccer's most ambitious front offices and Messi forever linked to the club, Inter Miami will continue to find ways to make history, one way or another.
