Less than three months removed from its first MLS Cup championship, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami shows no signs of a letdown.
The Herons have assembled one of the strongest rosters in Major League Soccer history heading into a season that and bookends around the biggest event of them all, the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The ageless Messi 鈥� he turns 39 in June 鈥� is coming off his , the first player in MLS history to accomplish that feat. He just keeps adding to a legacy that already ensures he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest ever to play the beautiful game.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a quiet guy, but on the pitch he transforms into an animal,鈥� teammate Yannick Bright told Italy鈥檚 La Gazzetta dello Sport. 鈥淎fter all he鈥檚 won, he never wants to lose, not even in training.鈥�
Messi is hardly going it alone in Miami, which pulled off an impressive reload after .
MLS goalkeeper of the year Dayne St. Clair was lured away from Minnesota United, addressing the club’s biggest area of concern. Germ谩n Berterame arrived from Liga MX鈥檚 Monterrey to fill a designated player spot, giving the Herons another dynamic threat up front. Newcomers Micael, Sergio Reguil贸n and David Ayala should help the club cope with the departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Miami begins its title defense Saturday night with a prime-time matchup against Los Angeles FC at the iconic Coliseum, which is expected to draw a crowd of more than 60,000.
Messi dealt with a muscle issue during the preseason, which put his availability for the opener in question. But he returned to full training this week and is expected to play.
Adding to the excitement in Miami, the Herons will hold the first game at their on April 4. The 25,000-seat facility completes a more than decade-long quest to build a soccer-specific stadium within the city.
Miami’s possible challengers
The Vancouver Whitecaps, who were bolstered by the summer signing of longtime German star Thomas M眉ller, reached the final of both the MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2025.
They came up short in both games, for the league title and for the continental championship. With M眉ller set for his first full season in MLS, the Whitecaps are eager to bring home a trophy.
Los Angeles FC could the strongest club this side of South Florida, with Son Heung-Min also set for full campaign after his midseason arrival from Tottenham Hotspur provided with Denis Bouanga.
鈥淚 let Messi win this year,鈥� during a December visit to Tottenham, “but next year 鈥� we鈥檒l be at the top.鈥�
Also keep an eye on the Philadelphia Union, which claimed the for the league’s best record during the regular season, and Minnesota United FC with its newest addition, on a short-term deal.
World Cup break
The league’s 30 clubs will have to navigate a seven-week shutdown while the expanded World Cup is held in North America.
MLS stadiums in Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto will host World Cup matches, and many of the league’s training facilities will be utilized by nations from around the globe.
The unique schedule has led to some strange quirks in the schedule, such as Atlanta United going more than three months between home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
When MLS resumes play in mid-July, it will be interesting to see which teams do the best job of handling the long layoff.
___
AP soccer:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
