FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi walked onto Inter Miami’s practice fields, surprisingly wearing a beanie hat on a 70-degree morning, for his second practice of the year under new coach Javier Mascherano on Monday.
Roughly an hour later, new U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino led a group of Major League Soccer players convened for the club’s first match of the year on a nearby field.
Both clubs have converged at Inter Miami’s complex to begin the new year with new coaches hoping to make their own impressions, while trying to fill lofty aspirations.
The USMNT continues its quest to prepare for the 2026 World Cup Saturday against Venezuela at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium at 3 p.m. ET, then against Costa Rica in Orlando on Jan. 22.
Messi and Inter Miami will begin their preseason tour and a busy 2025 against LIGA MX champions Club America at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET.
“My first impressions were this is going to be difficult. It’s like hard work. It’s very good. It’s challenging. And I feel like he’s creating an environment that tests you, that challenges you. And we’ve been enjoying it,” said Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender, who is training with the national team this week.
“I feel like I’m growing as a goalkeeper and also as a player. I think that’s super important to put players in a position to excel, but also situations where they have to grow and develop.”
Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi, called up by the national team after playing at the Paris Olympics, expects Pochettino to get into more detail with his game plan and tactics this week.
The new USMNT coach is 3-1 so far: They won 2-0 against Panama on Oct. 12, but lost 2-0 to Mexico on Oct. 15, and beat Jamaica 5-2 on aggregate in two Concacaf Nations League games in November.
Along with their World Cup preparation, the USMNT will compete with Canada, Mexico and Panama at the Concacaf Nations League finals in March and in the Concacaf Gold Cup later this summer.
“I like the way he works, and what he’s been doing with the national team lately,” Cremaschi said. “I think it’s very good for this country, and this team the way he approaches the game.”
Mascherano, on the other hand, doesn’t have to spend much time getting to know his star players. He’s reunited with his former Barcelona teammates Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba with Inter Miami after replacing Tata Martino last month.
Mascherano does, however, need to carve out some time to find a place to live. The first-time MLS coach has been couped up in a hotel when he’s not at Inter Miami’s facility, trying to finetune an ever-changing roster that has seen players from last season’s Supporters’ Shield title run depart in the short offseason.
“I don’t have too much time to think. I want to work on the team and the squad. I spent a lot of hours with the club trying to fix problems we had in the last month,” Mascherano said.
“I think in the next two or three weeks, I’ll sit down, try to find a house. I’ve been living in the hotel and don’t have time looking for houses.”
Inter Miami – eliminated by Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs – will participate in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Club World Cup and the Leagues Cup tournament during the MLS season this year.
To prepare, the club is embarking on a five-match preseason with trips to three different countries to also promote the Inter Miami brand behind Messi’s presence.
Mascherano said he was pleased with how Messi and his players returned from the holidays for the start of their year.
Inter Miami will also play preseason games in Peru on Jan. 29, in Panana on Feb. 2, in Honduras on Feb. 8, and in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 14.
“Obviously we have several preseason games that will allow us to compete, but we will see how many minutes we can get according to how they feel,” Mascherano said.