Inter Miami CF
Sports Blog
Featured
The History of the club, In seasons
By Colin Gallagher
Inter Miami faced early struggles in their first two seasons. The attention was there, but the quality of results simply did not meet the expectations set for a major city with an owner like David Beckham. The team struggled even with the major signings of Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuain. The two signings were some of the most high-profile signings in MLS history. Both Matuidi and Higuain had historic careers for both club and country and were on the back end of their careers. Beckham has a clear interest in signing players in a similar situation to himself and his move to the MLS in 2014.
The ticket sales, jersey sales, and club interest exponentially grew from major signings like these. Although one would assume that high-profile signings would result in wins, the team ultimately ended their inaugural season in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. A position in the standings that no one was excited about in South Florida. The club decided to move on from their first manager after the season. The club appointed Phil Neville. Neville was a close friend of David Beckham and a star player in his playing days for England.
In Inter Miami's second season in 2021, they faced even more struggles, this time resulting from moves made by the front office in their original season. Due to front office wrongdoing, “Major League Soccer has fined Inter Miami $2 million and imposed other sanctions following its investigation into the 2020 signing of French international Blaise Matuidi.” Inter Miami’s exact wrongdoing was that “The team said it used targeted allocation money to sign him (Matuidi). The league’s investigation, launched in March, determined Matuidi should have been a designated player.” Ironically, the team’s major signing that was supposed to bring success not only did not do that on the field, but the team suffered major fines for their irresponsible signing. The Miami squad faced similar outcomes on the pitch in 2021 as they did in their inaugural 2020 season.
The team lacked the edge needed to win at a consistent rate. The team’s star signing, Matuidi, did not produce for the club, scoring only a single goal in the 2021 campaign. On the other hand, Higuain, the world-class striker, scored 12 goals in the 2021 season. Although Higuain scored his fair share of goals, the results did not come.
The History of the club, In seasons continued
By Colin Gallagher
The 2022 season marked immense change, and a roster overhaul. The team chose not to resign their star player Matuidi, but rather signed a plethora of young talent, like Jean Mota, DeAndre Yedlin, and Leonardo Campana. These players added fresh talent and were at the top of their games. The changes ultimately helped Inter Miami continue to improve from the season before and they ultimately finished 6th in the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami’s season ultimately ended in a loss in the first round of the playoffs. Gonzalo Higuain, the squad's star-designated player, managed to score 16 goals before retiring after the 2022 season.” The team was without a doubt filled to the brim with talent, but the coaching was still in question.
The 2023 season was somewhat similar. In their third season, the spotlight was still held by Inter Miami. The potential to be the next great MLS team was palpable, but there was still something missing. The team in the first half of the 2023 MLS season dropped to last place in the Eastern Conference. The front office and ownership decided it was time to make a coaching move. “Phil Neville was fired as head coach of the Herons with the club only earning 15 points from 15 matches in 2023… He posted a 35-13-42 record as head coach.” The next month with the interim coach Javier Morales at the helm was much the same as with Phil Neville. After that month, everything changed…everything.
​​​
​
In late June of 2023, Tata Martino was appointed the new head coach of Inter Miami. Tata Martino coached Atlanta United to an MLS championship in 2018, as well as coaching Barcelona and Argentina’s National team in the past. The coaching hire was simply a homerun. Martino has experience at the top level of professional soccer and also has coached arguably the greatest player of all time, Messi.
Shortly after appointing Martino, Messi opted to sign with Inter Miami, seemingly shocking the world of soccer. The move for Messi came just six months after winning the World Cup for Argentina and cementing his legacy as the greatest player of all time for many. Messi, at 36 years old, is a rare case of someone nearing the end of his career but still at the top of his game. Landing the greatest player of all time was not an easy feat financially, especially with MLS’s complex financial regulations. Lionel Messi signed a 2.5 year contract with elements in his contract that have never occurred before.
​
Very shortly after the signing of Lionel Messi, two of his ex-Barcelona teammates joined him at Inter Miami. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets signed with Inter Miami less than two weeks after Messi joined. Alba and Busquets, who are also in the twilight stages of their careers, are arguably the best in their positions in the last decade.
​
The rest of the season, Messi showed that his form was just that same as the year prior when he won the World Cup. He was just as electric and lived up to every expectation. In just half of the MLS season, he netted, “11 goals in his first 14 appearances across all competitions, and even helped Miami land their first-ever trophy in the form of the inaugural Leagues Cup.” The Leagues Cup victory was a massive boost to the Inter Miami fan base, who had been deprived of trophies and consistent results from their squad. Although the arrival of Messi, Alba, and Busquets proved to put some wind in Inter Miami's sails, the squad still ended up falling short of qualifying for playoffs at the very end.
​
Going into the 2024 season, Inter Miami only added to their star power. The club added yet another global soccer star, Luis Súarez. Súarez, a 37-year-old at the time, joined the club just ahead of the 2024 season. Súarez played with Messi, Alba, and Busquets at F.C. Barcelona, reuniting the core of players that once won the UEFA Champions League while at Barcelona. As if the excitement and expectations around Inter Miami couldn't get any bigger, it reached new heights. The squad’s performance reached new levels in 2024 putting together a record-breaking 2024 regular season.
The squad “orchestrated an impressive turnaround for the team, going from 27th in the Supporters’ Shield race in 2023 to first in 2024.” The Supporters Shield recognizes essentially the league's winner if they were in any other country. For example, in England’s Premier League, there is no postseason, just a running table collecting 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The number of points Inter Miami secured in the regular season was an MLS record. The Supporter’s Shield is a massive achievement, but less of an achievement in the MLS due to its postseason structure.
The improvement in just a year is massive. Individually, Messi and Suarez showed why they are all-time greats even late in their careers. “In all, Messi registered 23 goals and 19 assists across all competitions this year, while Suárez contributed a total of 25 goals and 13 assists.” Although the 2024 season for Inter Miami was a record-breaking year in many aspects, the team still fell short in the MLS’s postseason competition. Inter Miami lost in their first round of the playoffs
​
Sources for Inter Miami history- in seasons
"Ageing Stars Are Still Vital to MLS Despite ‘Retirement League’ Barbs." The Guardian, 29 Aug. 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/29/ageing-stars-are-still-vital-to-mls-despite-retirement-league-barbs.
"Inter Miami Fined Over Blaise Matuidi Signing." The Guardian, 28 May 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/28/inter-miam-fined-blaise-matuidi.
"Inter Miami Fires Phil Neville as Head Coach." SBI Soccer, 1 June 2023, https://sbisoccer.com/2023/06/inter-miami-fires-phil-neville-as-head-coach.
"Inter Miami Season in Review: Your 2024 Inter Miami CF Team." Inter Miami CF, https://www.intermiamicf.com/news/season-in-review-your-2024-inter-miami-cf-team#:~:text=The%202024%20MLS%20regular%20season,2023%20to%20first%20in%202024.
"Lionel Messi Gives Honest Assessment of Debut Inter Miami Season After MLS Playoffs Failure." Goal, https://www.goal.com/en/news/lionel-messi-gives-honest-assessment-of-debut-inter-miami-season-after-mls-playoffs-failure/blt77acb31f81bf4226.
"Lionel Messi’s MLS Contract: How Does Inter Miami Star’s Deal Compare to Other Top Players?" NBC Sports, https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/lionel-messi-mls-contract-how-does-inter-miami-stars-contract-compare-to-other-top-players-in-the-world.
"Match Recap: Inter Miami CF Closes Successful 2022 Season with Road Playoff Loss." Inter Miami CF, https://www.intermiamicf.com/news/match-recap-inter-miami-cf-closes-successful-2022-season-with-road-playoff-loss.
"Miami Herald Articles on Inter Miami." Miami Herald, https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mls/inter-miami/article257732478.html and https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mls/inter-miami/article277074598.html.
"The Messi Effect: Luis Suárez Is Inter Miami’s Latest Landmark Signing." The Guardian, 24 Dec. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/dec/24/the-messi-effect-luis-suarez-is-inter-miamis-latest-landmark-signing.
"Messi’s Move to Inter Miami Explained: Tata Martino’s Influence." Goal, https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/lionel-messi-comes-because-tata-martino-here-reason-move-inter-miami-mls-rival/blt29513423b6b69348.
"Reunion: Inter Miami, Tata Martino, and Lionel Messi." The Guardian, 28 June 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/28/inter-miami-tata-martino-coach-lionel-messi-reunion.
"LAFC Still MLS’s Most Valuable Team; Messi’s Miami Second, Forbes Says." Reuters, 21 Feb. 2025, https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/lafc-still-mlss-most-valuable-team-messis-miami-second-forbes-says-2025-02-21.
"Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United in MLS Playoffs." ESPN, https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/42296246/inter-miami-lionel-messi-atlanta-united-mls-playoffs.
​
​
​
​