Inter Miami performed above expectations in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. They advanced out of the group stage and reached the knockout round, though their journey ended quickly with a Round of 16 loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Now, with Major League Soccer play resuming, Javier Mascherano sent a direct message to Lionel Messi and the rest of the squad.
“In a competition like the Club World Cup, where we were one of the weakest teams, we had a great group stage,” reflected the Inter Miami head coach on Friday, according to Ole. “After that, unfortunately, we had to face the strongest opponent you can find today in world soccer.”
Based on the performance the Herons showed in the global tournament, Mascherano believes the team must now display a more convincing level in MLS, which is presumed to be less demanding. “If we were clearly able to compete at that level, there’s no excuse not to be able to compete in our domestic league,” he said.
Indeed, Inter Miami rose to the occasion during the Club World Cup. After opening with a draw against Egypt’s Al Ahly that raised some questions, they delivered their best performance against what was, on paper, the group’s toughest opponent, Porto, winning 2-1. They then secured a draw against Palmeiras in their third match to clinch qualification.
Coach Mascherano confirmed Lionel Messi will be available for Inter Miami’s next game vs CF Montreal
“That has to be a boost of confidence for everything we’re about to play — not just MLS, but also the Leagues Cup starting later this month,” Mascherano explained. “We’ll try to find a way to push the players to go all out. Because we’ve shown we can compete even against teams with far more pedigree than us.”
see also
Is Messi leaving Inter Miami? The other legend who left MLS to prepare for the World Cup
Mascherano confirms that Messi will travel to Canada
Inter Miami’s first match after the MLS restart will be Saturday night against CF Montreal at Saputo Stadium. Ahead of the game, Javier Mascherano was asked whether Lionel Messi would be available to travel with his teammates to Canada.
“Yes, why not?” the coach responded. “Luckily we had a long week, and that was good for us. We were able to give most of the guys two days off, especially the ones with more minutes. Leo is available, nothing unusual going on.”
How are Inter Miami doing in MLS?
Unlike in most major leagues around the world, the Club World Cup did not bring MLS action to a halt. Teams not involved in the tournament continued playing in the domestic competition over the past several weeks, leaving Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders, and Los Angeles FC behind in the standings.
That’s why the Herons now find themselves lower in the table: they sit in 7th place in the Eastern Conference with 29 points, 11 behind leaders Philadelphia Union. However, they’ve only played 16 matches, while most other teams have already logged 20. That means as they catch up on games, they could make up ground — provided the results go their way.
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