After a dream regular season, Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami’s journey towards the MLS title was derailed in the first round of the playoffs, a serious blow for a team and a championship that still need to capitalize on the Argentine star’s presence.
The Inter of Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets said goodbye to the season by losing 3-2 to Atlanta United on Saturday (9) in the first round play-off game, opening a period of reflection and questions for the future of the franchise.
The elimination of Inter Miami, the best team in the regular phase with a record number of points, at the hands of Atlanta, ninth in the Eastern Conference, was the most unexpected end to Messi’s second campaign in the United States.
For the 37-year-old Argentine star, it was one of his last opportunities to guide Inter to their first North American league title, a success that many consider crucial to popularizing football in the world’s largest sports market.
The Albiceleste captain arrived at Inter Miami in the middle of last year, when the team was in the bottom of the MLS, and was able to transform it immediately, until winning the first trophy in its history in the Leagues Cup.
In the 2023 MLS, Messi played just six rounds and was unable to perform the miracle of qualifying Miami for the playoffs. All hopes were pinned on this campaign, in which ‘Pistolero’ Suárez joined a quartet of former Barcelona glories.
The regular phase was a triumphant tour for Inter and, in the middle of the year, Messi had another joy with Argentina by winning the Copa América, in a final in which he suffered an ankle injury that left him out of action for two months.
Still, he scored 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 rounds, boosting Inter’s record of 74 points and making him a big favorite for the MVP award (best player of the season).
Club World Cup no horizon
Inter’s triumph in the regular phase, recognized with the Supporters’ Shield trophy, was also rewarded with a place in the new 2025 Club World Cup, as a representative of the host country.
The president of FIFA (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino, made the invitation public on the same lawn at Chase Stadium, surrounded by David Beckham and other franchisees.
Furthermore, the inaugural match of the new 32-team championship will be held in Miami, the epicenter of the ambitious commitment to the growth of ‘soccer’ since Messi’s arrival.
The great football icon will thus have a global showcase to shine in what could be the last year of his career.
At the end of 2025, the Rosario star’s contract with Inter expires, but he has not ruled out extending it or signing up for a sixth World Cup with Argentina in 2026.
Suárez and Alba’s future
For now, Inter faces a period of three months without competition in which it must define the future of other key pieces of its project, starting with the continuity of coach Gerardo Martino and Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez themselves.
The Uruguayan striker arrived in Florida surrounded by doubts due to his age (37 years old) and his history of injuries, but ended the campaign as the second highest scorer in the championship, with 20 goals.
In October, Suárez confirmed that he wanted to extend his contract for another year, but negotiations have not yet been completed.
The continuity of Jordi Alba, also highlighted this season at 35 years old, depends on the club exercising its option to renew him for another season.
The departure of Suárez or Alba — Busquets is committed until 2025, like Messi — could favor the arrival of one of the figures who are regularly linked to Inter, the last of which is another old acquaintance of Messi, the Brazilian Neymar.
