MLS is growing year by year, and Inter Miami has been growing since its founding in 2018. That’s why after winning MLS 2025, the Florida franchise is facing the league that begins today — the last before the schedule is aligned with the European calendar in July 2027 — as the overwhelming favorite to retain the title.
It won’t be easy. It’s a key year for Inter, still with the strength of Leo Messi and Luis Suarez, but with the question of how it will react to the retirements of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. The team has been heavily revamped with the signings of Spaniard Sergio Reguilon; Argentines Mura and Ayala; Brazilian Micael; the best goalkeeper in last season’s MLS, Dayne St. Clair; and German Berterame, an Argentinean naturalized Mexican, who will be the third ‘Designated Player’ that MLS allows each franchise.
A key year, especially because of the opening of Miami Freedom Park (April 4 against Austin), the club’s new stadium located next to the city’s international airport, which will represent a before and after in the franchise in which Messi has a stake.
Until the opening of the Freedom Park stadium (25,000 capacity), Inter Miami will play five games away from home, including this weekend’s match against Los Angeles FC. The competition will then be suspended (May 25 to July 16) due to the World Cup, which will be held, among other places, in Miami itself at the Hard Rock Stadium
Obviously, while MLS is already preparing for the future, much still depends on Leo Messi, not to mention other new signings in the league such as Colombian James Rodriguez for Minnesota United.The Argentine star is facing his fourth year in Florida (although 2023 was not a full year) with a wonderful record so far: 77 goals in 88 total games so far.
The World Cup winner, who was injured in pre-season but will be in Los Angeles today, has an imminent record in mind, that of 900 official goals in his career. To date, he has scored (clubs and national team) 896 goals, so this new milestone in his career is close to being reached.
Leo faces the World Cup year with the same team objectives as every year: this MLS; the Leagues Cup, which he already won with Inter; and the Concachampions, which, curiously, and according to franchise owner Jorge Mas, is the team’s new big target.
The ConcaChampions, that is, the Champions League of this Concacaf zone (Central, North America and the Caribbean), is the new sporting obsession of the Mas brothers. Inter is participating for the third consecutive time and has never won it. It is the new challenge in a year marked by the new Freedom Park. In short… let’s go for another MLS!
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