Lionel Messi enters 2026 on the heels of a historic campaign with Inter Miami, where he led the franchise to its first-ever MLS Cup title while sweeping both Regular Season and MLS Cup MVP honors. While defending the domestic crown remains a priority, club managing owner Jorge Mas has identified an even more prestigious target for the upcoming year.
During the opening day of Inter Miami‘s preseason camp, Mas addressed reporters at the Florida Blue Training Center, making it clear that the CONCACAF Champions Cup is the club’s North Star for 2026—a message he has already delivered to the locker room.
“Our objective is to win the Concachampions; it is something I have told the club. All of our goals are focused on those seven matches to win the title this year,” Mas said. “That is why we are building this roster, and I believe we have improved significantly in key positions”.
To facilitate this international push, the front office has been aggressive in the winter transfer market. The club has already finalized deals for defensive midfielder David Ayala, goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, and defenders Facundo Mura, Micael, and former Real Madrid standout Sergio Reguilon.
Furthermore, Inter Miami owner confirmed Lionel Messi will regain key partner for 2026. The club has reached an agreement with Celta de Vigo to secure the permanent transfer of Tadeo Allende, the Argentine forward who set a league record with nine postseason goals during the 2025 title run.
However, the news was not entirely positive regarding the midfield. Mas admitted that a deal for Baltasar Rodriguez has hit a standstill, citing unresolved valuation differences in negotiations with Racing Club that may prevent the player from returning to Fort Lauderdale for the 2026 season.
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Jorge Mas stays confident in Inter Miami’s roster
While the franchise has confirmed five major signings so far—with more expected this window—the club has also bolstered its ranks from within. Inter Miami have reportedly promoted 18-year-old attacker Daniel Pinter to the first team to provide offensive depth alongside Lionel Messi.
Despite numerous rumors linking more global stars to South Florida, managing owner Jorge Mas signaled that the current squad is already equipped to compete at the highest level and continue making history.
“For ’26, I believe this will be an extraordinary roster, coming off a championship season. In this league, it is extremely difficult to repeat—especially when you’ve utilized every roster tool available to build a team like we did in ’25. However, I believe we will have a squad capable of competing at an even higher level than what we saw last year,” Mas concluded.
