Inter Miami

The presence of Lionel Messi wasn't enough to make Inter Miami the most valuable MLS franchise for 2025.

Los Angeles FC retained that title with a total valuation of $1.28 billion, per Sportico. Inter Miami did at least vault into the No. 2 spot ($1.19 billion). Atlanta United ($1.08 billion) fell two places to No. 4.

Five MLS teams are estimated to be worth $1 billion or more, with New York City FC becoming the newest member of the group. When Sportico first conducted this exercise in 2021, nobody reached that threshold. LAFC was the closest at $860 million.

Another sign of MLS' robust financial health is that the people behind San Diego FC had to pay a $500 million expansion fee in 2023, up from the $325 million it took to make Charlotte FC a reality in 2019.

MLS still has a long way to go to be considered one of the top soccer leagues in the world, and it may never actually get there. Money alone doesn't make up for the years and decades of history the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and others have established.

But the 10-figure valuations speak for themselves.

For a long time, American soccer fans have lamented the absence of a traditional promotion/relegation system in the country. Being a closed league has helped set MLS apart in another way, though.

Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen detailed last May how prospective investors were drawn to MLS in part because they don't have to face the threat that a relegation would pose. Dropping into a second division would mean less prestige and much less revenue. With MLS, on the other hand, the bottom line doesn't change too much regardless of whether you finish first or last.

The San Jose Earthquakes were comfortably the worst team in MLS, their 21 points putting them nine below Chicago Fire FC in 28th. The Earthquakes' valuation on Sportico climbed by seven percent to $600 million.

The schedule for the 2025 MLS season has been released.

The league released the slate for its 30th season on Thursday. The 30 clubs will play 34 games each, with 17 home games and 17 away games. The league season will begin on Feb. 22, with the opening game being between Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami FC and NYCFC in Fort Lauderdale.

That game will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be followed by 12 more games on that Saturday.

The 2025 season will feature a new team, San Diego FC, and will also see pauses for the Club World Cup and Gold Cup. It will also feature two 30th-anniversary special matchups as DC United will take on the San Jose Earthquakes in honor of the first-ever MLS Game on April 6 while DC United and the LA Galaxy will play on July 12 to honor the first MLS Championship Game.

The season opener will be the first time MLS fans can see Messi and Inter Miami since the team fell in the first round of the 2024 postseason. This came after the team went 22-4-8 and claimed the top overall record in MLS.

The Galaxy are the league's defending champs and will hope to earn a seventh overall championship.

Arguably the greatest soccer player of all time is set to make his mark on the hugely popular Fortnite video game on Friday night.

The official Fortnite account on X posted a video Friday showing off the Lionel Messi skins that will be available for purchase:

One of the skins is Messi himself in his soccer kit, while the other is a regal-looking lion, likely playing off Messi's "Leo" nickname.

Per SI.com's Amanda Langell, gamers will get to play as Messi in his uniform or street clothes and as two different lions if they purchase the skins.

Also available for purchase separately or as part of the Messi bundle are two pickaxes, two back blings and two emotes.

Messi is the latest in a long line of superstar athletes and celebrities to be featured in Fortnite.

The 37-year-old Messi is the second-leading goal scorer in the history of major professional soccer behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, and he boasts a résumé that few can challenge.

Messi is an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or as the top player in the world, and a two-time FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner as the top player at the World Cup.

The Argentine has also won four UEFA Champions League titles, and he led Argentina to a World Cup win in 2022.

After primarily starring in Europe for Barcelona and then Paris Saint-Germain, Messi made the move to the United States in 2023, joining Inter Miami.

By virtue of scoring 20 goals in 19 league matches last season, Messi was named MLS MVP, adding another major accolade to his track record.

After scoring 20 goals in 19 matches, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi was named the 2024 MLS MVP on Friday.

The 37-year-old veteran was a dominant force in his second season with the club, and he played a huge role in Miami posting 22 wins, eight draws and only four losses during the regular season, giving the team an MLS single-season record of 74 points.

In addition to being tied for second in goals scored across the league in 2024, Messi was also tied for third in assists with 16.

What set Messi apart from the players who put up similar stats in 2024 is the fact that he played in far fewer matches than all of them.

While D.C. United's Christian Benteke led MLS with 23 goals, he did so in 30 games, compared to Messi's 19. Also, FC Cincinnati's Luciana Acosta and Portland Timbers' Evander had 20 and 19 assists in 32 and 28 matches, respectively.

After starring for 17 seasons at Barcelona and then two at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi became the biggest signing in MLS history when he arrived stateside in 2023.

Messi has scored nearly 900 goals in his career across all competitions for club and country, putting him firmly in the conversation for greatest soccer player of all time along with Pelé, Cristiano Ronaldo and a select few others.

Winning MLS MVP is another accomplishment added to one of the most impressive résumés in the history of the sport.

Before joining Inter Miami, Messi was an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or as the best soccer player in the world. He also twice won the Golden Ball, which is given to the top player at the FIFA World Cup.

With Messi leading the way, Barca won 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. He also won a pair of Ligue 1 titles at PSG.

The crowning achievement of Messi's career may have come in 2022 when he won the World Cup for the first time, leading Argentina to its first World Cup victory since 1986.

Now that Messi has an MLS MVP to his credit, winning the MLS championship is one of the last accolades he has yet to attain.

Inter Miami were favored to win it all last season, but they were shocked by Atlanta United FC in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

With star players such as Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba set to return to the club in 2025, Inter Miami will likely once again be favored to hoist the MLS Cup for the first time.

Lionel Messi-led MLS club Inter Miami officially announced the hiring of Javier Mascherano as head coach on Tuesday.

Inter Miami noted that Mascherano signed a contract that will run through the 2027 MLS season, and Mascherano said the following about accepting the job:

"To be able to lead a club like Inter Miami is an honor for me, and a privilege I will strive to make the most of. I was drawn to the organization's undeniable ambition, and the infrastructure it has to support it. I'm looking forward to working with the people at Inter Miami to help the club reach new heights, and to give the fans more unforgettable moments."

Inter Miami's head coaching position became available last week when previous head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino left the club due to personal reasons.

Mascherano, 40, began his managerial career in 2021 with Argentina's Under-20 and Under-23 national teams. That included coaching the Argentinian men's soccer team at the 2024 Summer Olympics where they were eliminated by host France in the quarterfinals.

Before becoming a coach, Mascherano enjoyed a highly successful playing career from 2003 to 2020, spending time with multiple major clubs, including Barcelona, Liverpool and Corinthians.

Mascherano had his longest run at Barca, appearing in 203 matches. For all eight of his seasons at Barcelona, Mascherano was teammates with Messi.

Together, they won five La Liga titles and a pair of UEFA Champions League titles, as well as numerous other trophies.

Mascherano and Messi were also teammates on the Argentinian national team for 13 years, and they won an Olympic gold medal together in 2008.

Felipe Cardenas and Pablo Maurer of The Athletic reported last week that Mascherano was expected to be named the next head coach at Inter Miami, and they noted that he and Messi are still close friends.

Inter Miami began MLS play in 2020, and Messi joined the club beginning in the 2023 season after leaving Paris-Saint Germain.

After struggling mightily and failing to reach the playoffs in 2023, Inter Miami took a massive leap forward last season, posting 22 wins, four losses and eight draws, giving them the best winning percentage in a single season in MLS history at .765.

However, Inter Miami were shocked in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, falling to Atlanta United.

With Messi leading the way, Inter Miami are expected to be top contenders again in 2025, and Mascherano could potentially be the coach needed to put them over the top.

Inter Miami will name Javier Mascherano as its next head coach, per Felipe Cardenas and Pablo Maurer of The Athletic.

Mascherano has a long-standing connection with Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.

"The 40-year-old will be reunited with Lionel Messi after the two spent nearly a decade together at Barcelona, winning 19 titles as teammates at the Catalan club," Cardenas and Maurer wrote. "Messi and Mascherano played on the Argentina national team for 13 years and remain close friends."

Mascherano replaces Gerardo "Tata" Martino, who left the club for personal reasons.

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas made it clear to reporters Friday that "familiarity with Leo and the other stars is an advantage in every aspect."

"I spoke to Lionel on Saturday after he and Tata had spoken," Mas said, per The Athletic. "I asked him, 'What is important to you and what is important to get the best out of our roster and starting XI. How do we improve?' Leo shared his thoughts with me. This is a very attractive position for a coach. We got it down to three final candidates by Tuesday. Familiarity with Leo and the other stars is an advantage in every aspect."

Mascherano most recently coached Argentina in the Summer Olympics, where they fell in the quarterfinals to eventual silver medalist France. Argentina won two matches and lost one in group play before falling 1-0 to France in the knockout round.

He had also led Argentina's Under-20 and Under-23 teams since 2021, winning 28 matches, losing 12 and drawing 10.

Inter Miami just had the best regular season (by winning percentage) in MLS history, winning 22 matches, losing four and drawing eight for 74 points in 34 matches.

However, ninth-place Atlanta United stunned Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, winning two games to one.

The table is certainly set for Inter Miami to find success, especially with Messi still around. His chemistry with Mascherano can certainly help matters as well as the club looks for its first-ever MLS Cup.

Head coach Tata Martino is reportedly leaving Inter Miami "effective immediately" for "personal reasons," according to Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami finished the MLS regular season atop the table with a league-record 74 points but were upset by No. 9 seed Atlanta United in the opening round of the playoffs, ending their season in shocking fashion.

"It's not a success when you lose in the quarterfinal round," Martino told reporters after Inter Miami was eliminated from the playoffs. "If one thinks about where we were last November, there has been progress for the club, not just the team. If one considers the expectations we had for these playoffs, we've come up very short."

Inter Miami has already seen changes in key positions during 2024. Raul Sanllehi was appointed as president of football operations in June, likely spelling the eventual end for current sporting director Chris Henderson.

There is also the question of how much longer the team's current core group of Messi (37), Luis Suárez (37), Sergio Busquets (36) and Jordi Alba (35) will continue to play.

The hope for Inter Miami, of course, is that Messi's presence alone has made the club a destination for other big-name talents around the globe, much as co-owner David Beckham once provided for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Messi's stardom is unrivaled, of course, but he will also be uniquely impossible to replace once he retires, whenever that may be.

For now, however, the team is left to find a replacement for the 61-year-old Martino, who in two seasons led the team to a 2023 Leagues Cup title and helped turn around what was once a cellar-dweller club.

The addition of Messi is primarily credited with inspiring that change, and for good reason—he posted an absurd 20 goals and 16 assists in just 15 league starts this season. How much credit Martino—who previously managed Barcelona and the Argentina and Mexican national teams, among other high-profile appointments—deserves for the turnaround is harder to gauge, though he certainly caught plenty of blame for the team's early playoff departure.

Whether that played into his decision to leave or not is less clear. But Inter Miami is now left to fill his position as they hope to maximize the years they have left with Messi.

In a win-or-go-home game featuring Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF against Atlanta United FC, a goal in the 76th minute sealed a 3-2 victory for Atlanta at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. With the win, Atlanta advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, while Miami is eliminated.

Despite Messi scoring a goal in the second half, fans were left stunned by the loss.

Miami held the top seed in the Eastern Conference and with their elimination, all of the top three seeds in the East have been knocked out in the first round.

Miami and Atlanta entered Saturday's game tied with one win each. Miami took Game 1 with a 2-1 victory, while Atlanta claimed Game 2, also 2-1.

Both teams scored early in the playoff matchup. Inter Miami struck first with a goal from Matias Rojas in the 17th minute, quickly followed by an Atlanta United goal from Jamal Thiare in the 19th minute.

In the 21st minute, forward Thiare scored once again to give Atlanta the 2-1 edge going into half time.

Out of halftime, Messi found his first goal of the postseason in the 65th minute, to even out the score 2-2.

To seal the game, Atlanta's Bartosz Slisz scored in the 76th minute, securing the victory.

Miami registered a staggering 25 shot attempts compared to Atlanta's nine and controlled 64.3 percent of possession, yet they couldn't secure the win.

Following the match, Miami fans voiced their disappointment on social media over the loss to the lower-ranked Atlanta team.

Atlanta advances to face No. 4 Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.