Javier Mascherano

0 yrs

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Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami regain top MLS spot in latest CONCACAF rankings but miss overall Top 3

worldsoccertalk.com · 3 weeks ago

Lionel Messi's great form has led Inter Miami to take the top MLS spot in the CONCACAF rankings, though they're still trailing the overall Top 3. Lionel Messi has been the driving force behind an Inter Miami side that has spent the first portion of the 2026 season rediscovering the form that carried them to the MLS Cup title last year. The progress is now showing in the standings, with the Herons reclaiming their status as the top MLS club in the CONCACAF rankings, though they still find themselves outside the overall top three. Back in March, Inter Miami suffered a significant setback with their Round of 16 exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the hands of Nashville, and a string of poor results through early April sent them tumbling to seventh in the rankings. Since then, the club has undergone a reset, including the dismissal of Javier Mascherano and the appointment of Guillermo Hoyos, and the results on the pitch have followed. With CONCACAF releasing its latest club ranking update on May 18, Inter Miami have climbed from sixth to fourth overall, now sitting as the highest-ranked MLS side on the list. LAFC and the Seattle Sounders had been positioned above them, but both clubs have shed points in the most recent update following difficult stretches of form. After a strong start to the season, LAFC hit a wall in May, falling in the Champions Cup semifinals against Toluca and then collecting just one draw and three consecutive MLS defeats. The Sounders followed a similar trajectory, bowing out of the Champions Cup in the quarterfinals to Tigres UANL before managing only one win, two draws and one defeat in May league play. Germán Berterame #19 celebrates with Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami. Messi’s contribution to Inter Miami’s revival Hoyos took charge of his first Inter Miami match on April 18 against the Colorado Rapids, and under the Argentine coach the team has found a level of consistency that was largely absent earlier in the season. A significant factor in that turnaround, beyond the improvement from several players across the squad, has been Lionel Messi returning to his best form. Since that Colorado Rapids fixture, Messi has featured in seven games, scoring seven goals and adding five assists. In May alone across four appearances, he has posted four goals and four assists, performances that have positioned him as the leading candidate for the MLS Player of the Month award. Who sits at the top of the CONCACAF rankings? Over the stretch that includes the Colorado match, Inter Miami have posted five wins, one draw and one defeat with 20 goals scored, accumulating 1,241 points in the CONCACAF index. Despite the momentum, the gap between the Herons and the Liga MX clubs occupying the top three remains considerable. Tigres UANL and Deportivo Toluca hold the top two spots with 1,277 and 1,276 points respectively, as the two CONCACAF Champions Cup finalists. Cruz Azul, who reached the quarterfinals and are set to face Pumas UNAM in the Liga MX Clausura final, sit third with 1,258 points, leaving a 17-point gap between them and the highest-ranked MLS club.

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Mascherano speaks about Messi for first time since Inter Miami exit amid rift rumors

worldsoccertalk.com · last month

After rumors surrounding an alleged conflict that led to his departure from Inter Miami, Javier Mascherano spoke publicly about Lionel Messi. Just four weeks ago, Javier Mascherano unexpectedly stepped down as Inter Miami head coach in the middle of the 2026 Major League Soccer season. Since then, rumors of a possible conflict with Lionel Messi have fueled speculation, and now the coach has finally addressed Leo publicly. Mascherano attended an event in Mexico this weekend tied to El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, as a legend of the Catalan side. There, he spoke with reporters and, among other topics, was asked about how he has seen Messi in recent weeks. “Good, good. Honestly, he always looks good,” Mascherano replied. While the coach did not explicitly say anything controversial and even smiled while answering the question, his unusually brief response drew attention and opened the door to further speculation. Mascherano’s abrupt resignation was officially described as being due to “personal reasons” in the statement released at the time by Inter Miami, and so far neither side has provided further clarification. A similar situation occurred at the end of 2024, when Gerardo Martino also stepped down as the club’s head coach. “¿Cómo se lo ve a Messi para el Mundial? BIEN, BIEN, SIEMPRE SE LO VE BIEN. ¿LISTO?”.Javier Mascherano, ex DT de Inter Miami. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/AKGKj6gaJP— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) May 12, 2026 The relationship between Messi and Mascherano Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano were teammates with the Argentina national team between 2005 and 2018, playing together in four World Cups, four Copa America tournaments, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. They also shared the field at Barcelona between 2010 and 2017. That close relationship was considered one of the main reasons why Inter Miami chose him as head coach despite his limited managerial experience, which consisted mainly of his stint with Argentina’s U-20 national team. Throughout those years, whenever Mascherano was asked about Messi, he consistently praised him heavily — something that was notably absent this time. “I’m fortunate because I get to enjoy Leo up close. Sometimes people see him on television, but I’m closer to him. Leo is the best player to ever play this sport. He keeps proving it, and I’m very happy with him,” the coach said last year, in stark contrast to his short response this week. Mascherano speaks about Argentina and the 2026 World Cup In addition to discussing Lionel Messi’s current situation at Inter Miami, Javier Mascherano also spoke about his expectations for Argentina with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just one month away. “Argentina have a team that is in very good form, and that creates huge expectations,” Mascherano said before wishing Lionel Scaloni’s squad success. “Hopefully they can win the championship again. That’s what all Argentinians want.”

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Luis Suarez opens up on Inter Miami’s 2026 struggles following Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retirements

worldsoccertalk.com · last month

Luis Suarez addressed to the media the struggles Inter Miami are going through in the 2026 season after Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets' retirements. Inter Miami in 2026 has been a shadow of the team that lifted the MLS Cup in 2025, with the retirements of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets leaving a void that has proven difficult to fill. Luis Suarez has now spoken candidly about the struggles the club has faced in the wake of the Spanish duo’s departures. Suárez himself had a limited role under former head coach Javier Mascherano but has found more consistent playing time under new boss Guillermo Hoyos. Despite that, the team as a whole has been unable to find its footing, falling at the first hurdle in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and continuing to underperform in MLS despite a busy winter transfer window. When asked about the impact of Alba and Busquets’ absence in his media session on Wednesday, Suarez was direct: “There are many tactical and technical nuances that we shouldn’t dwell on by saying, “if they were here or not.” They aren’t here anymore; unfortunately, they were two very significant losses. Our build-up play used to go through Busi or Jordi, and even our attacking runs came from Jordi. They are missed, but we knew months ago that they wouldn’t be here and that we had to create a different approach, a different game.“ Suárez’s words are backed up by the numbers. According to SofaScore, both Busquets and Alba led Inter Miami in passes completed per game and long balls during the 2025 MLS season. Their influence in the attacking phase was equally significant, with Alba finishing his time at the club as the second-highest assist provider in the franchise’s history with 33, making the creativity gap left by their departures all the more glaring. Luis Suárez #9 of Inter Miami celebrates with Sergio Busquets #5 and Jordi Alba #18. Turning to the team’s current struggles, Suárez pointed to the youth and inexperience within the squad as a key factor. “There are matches where it works out well for us, others where it doesn’t, and we have to be prepared for the difficult moments we experience in certain games. We have to work and keep improving because there are many young players who still have a lot to improve on, and that’s why we are here training every day—to get better.“ The Inter Miami front office brought in Sergio Reguilon and David Ayala as the designated replacements for Alba and Busquets respectively, but both have struggled to cement their place in the lineup. Noah Allen and Yannick Bright have ultimately logged the most minutes in those positions, and their inability to replicate the quality and experience of the departed veterans has been a significant drag on Miami’s ability to build and create through the thirds. Suárez on Inter Miami’s troubling home record at Nu Stadium One of the most alarming trends of the season has been Inter Miami’s failure to win at Miami Freedom Park, now officially known as Nu Stadium. After three straight draws at their new home, the stunning 4-3 collapse against Orlando City last weekend added another painful chapter to what has become a genuinely troubling record on their own turf. Asked whether the team’s home struggles stem from the pitch conditions or the psychological adjustment of moving to a new stadium, Suarez dismissed both explanations:” I don’t think that’s it. Many of the boys probably go in thinking that we finally have to win. But of course, then you get into the match like we did the other day and you say, ‘this is it.’ And this is a demonstration of how strong and competitive the league is.” After acknowledging the brutal self-reflection that followed such a deflating defeat, Suarez set his sights on delivering a home victory against the Portland Timbers on May 17. “Now we have to face the next two away matches, and afterward, give our fans a victory here at home, which is what we all want,” he concluded.

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Lionel Messi earns MLS honor despite Inter Miami’s heavy loss to Orlando City

worldsoccertalk.com · last month

Major League Soccer recognized Lionel Messi for his performance against Orlando City, despite Inter Miami’s defeat. Last Saturday, Inter Miami suffered a tough 4-3 loss to Orlando City after starting the match in dominant fashion and building a three-goal lead. Despite the setback, Major League Soccer honored Lionel Messi’s performance. “Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi has been named to the Major League Soccer Team of the Matchday,” the club announced in a statement published on its official website. “The Argentine earns his fifth Team of the Matchday selection of the campaign after a standout performance in which he contributed to all three Inter Miami goals, recording one goal and two assists.” The Herons’ first-half advantage was largely driven by the Argentine forward’s performance. On Ian Fray’s opening goal, Messi played the pass to Telasco Segovia, who then delivered the cross. He later assisted the Venezuelan midfielder for the second goal, and in the 33rd minute, he scored the third with a precise finish. However, Messi’s performance was overshadowed in the second half by another Argentine. Martin Ojeda led Orlando City’s comeback with a hat trick to level the score and then assisted Tyrese Spicer for the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Matchday 11's best XI. 😮‍💨Team of the Matchday pres. by Audi: https://t.co/hzNJh99dHI pic.twitter.com/oIPV0HmD2S— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2026 Messi keeps piling up accolades The honor awarded by MLS to Lionel Messi as part of the Team of the Matchday for Week 11 adds to a growing list of similar recognitions the Argentine forward has earned for his performances with Inter Miami. In fact, during the 2026 season, Messi has been named to the Team of the Matchday in five of the first eleven weeks. His previous selections came in Matchday 2 (alongside Javier Mascherano, Telasco Segovia, and Mateo Silvetti), Matchday 5 (alongside Gonzalo Lujan), Matchday 6, and Matchday 8. These honors reflect the Argentine star’s production so far this season. Messi has played in 10 of Inter Miami’s 11 MLS matches in 2026—resting only for the March matchup against Charlotte FC—and has recorded eight goals and one assist. Inter Miami’s upcoming challenges Following the tough loss to Orlando City, Inter Miami now have a week to recover both mentally and physically. On Saturday, they will travel to Canada to face Toronto FC in the first of three matches in a one-week span. They will then visit FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, May 13, before returning home the following Sunday to host Portland Timbers.

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