Now serving as Atlanta United manager, Gerardo Martino reflected on his time coaching Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez during his stint with Inter Miami. Gerardo Martino once managed Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami. Now facing them as rivals in MLS, the Atlanta United manager has reflected on his time with the Herons. On Saturday, Inter Miami and Atlanta United played out a thrilling 2–2 draw. Following the match, Martino was seen sharing an emotional embrace with Messi, reflecting on their shared history and the superstar’s recent journey. “Well, for me, it was a really nice chapter that we experienced here in Miami,” Martino said in press conference in response to Bolavip. “We were able to accomplish some of the first important things for the club. They’re two great figures, two great soccer players. “But beyond that, what I’ll take away is the relationship we built and the fact that I was able to play a small part in their careers. Obviously, I spent more time with Leo and less time with Luis, but we built a great relationship, and the greeting with both of them was simply a reflection of that.” Inter Miami eye another major trophy During his time in South Florida, Martino brought success to the Herons by leading them to the 2023 Leagues Cup title. It marked Messi’s first trophy with the club, though Martino’s tenure would not last much longer. Gerardo “Tata” Martino opened up about what it was like to reunite with Suárez and about the hug with Leo Messi that went viral around the world 🥹 pic.twitter.com/6ir9PrKpQl— Bolavip US (@bolavipus) September 6, 2026 After parting ways with Martino in 2024, Inter Miami went on to secure the MLS Cup in 2025. It was the first domestic league title in the franchise’s history, and they are now aiming to defend their crown this season. Inter Miami have enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign. While their recent form has dipped slightly, they remain near the top of the Eastern Conference, leading many to believe that a back-to-back title run is a very real possibility.
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Gerardo Martino warned that no team can fully neutralize Lionel Messi over 90 minutes ahead of Atlanta United's clash with Inter Miami. Gerardo “Tata” Martino reflected on what it means to face his former star player Lionel Messi ahead of Atlanta United’s clash with Inter Miami this Saturday, in what marks his first meeting with the Argentine since taking over as Atlanta’s head coach. Martino, who led Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters’ Shield before stepping away last year, didn’t hold back when discussing the challenge of trying to contain his old captain. “Really, he’s the one who has the decision, not us — we’re the ones who are going to play against him. It’s always been that way. I don’t know, we just saw it, 39 years old at a World Cup, and everything that happened in a match went through him,” Martino said. The reference wasn’t lost on anyone following Messi’s summer: at 39, he delivered arguably his best statistical World Cup, scoring eight goals as Argentina reached the final before falling to Spain. Building toward Saturday. 🧱🔥 #MIAvATL pic.twitter.com/KvNF1YcRFc— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 2, 2026 “No team is capable of neutralizing him for 92, 93, 95 minutes of a match. So there’s always a moment where he’s going to be decisive. Sometimes there are many moments in a match, sometimes, like the match against England, it’s just one moment and it’s over, there’s no turning back,” Martino continued. “And this is the same thing. I told the players: if we control the game for 89 minutes, it’s possible we still lose it,” the Argentine coach added. The comments set the stage for Saturday’s matchup, as Atlanta look to spring an upset against a Miami side currently sitting second in the Eastern Conference. Martino and Messi’s shared history across three teams Martino first coached Messi at Barcelona during the 2013-14 season, guiding the club to a 40-11-8 record across 59 matches and lifting the Spanish Super Cup, though Barcelona fell short in both LaLiga and the Copa del Rey that year. He then took the reins of the Argentina national team in 2014, leading Messi and company to a 19-7-3 record over two years, reaching back-to-back Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016, both of which ended in defeat to Chile. Their most successful stretch together came at Inter Miami, where Messi’s arrival in 2023 produced an immediate impact under Martino, scoring 11 goals in his first nine matches for the club. Martino went on to guide Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield before departing the club last year, closing out a partnership with Messi that spanned more than a decade across three different teams.
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