According to Inter Miami’s announcement on November 26, Mascherano’s contract expires in the 2027 MLS season. The Argentine coach will start work after completing the labor paperwork, with his assistant team to be announced later. Here, he will reunite with four former teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

According to co-owner Jorge Mas, Inter Miami always prioritized appointing coaches who are close to Messi, even asking the Argentine star for advice during the search process. “I asked Messi what was important to him personally and what was important to get the best out of the team,” he said. “Familiarity with Messi and other stars is an advantage. I wanted Messi to feel comfortable with the new coach.”

Mascherano has been the coach of Argentina’s U20 and U23 teams since 2021. He led the team to the round of 16 of the 2021 U20 World Cup, and to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they lost 0-1 to hosts France.

According to Mas, Mascherano’s lack of professional coaching experience is not a big problem, because the club’s policy is to appoint people who have won many major titles as players or coaches. “Experience in MLS would be great, but I don’t think that’s the main criteria. What’s important is how you manage a squad with unlimited potential,” he said.

Mascherano played alongside Messi for eight seasons at Barca, winning five La Liga titles and the 2011 and 2015 Champions League. They also played regularly together on the Argentina national team, winning gold at the 2008 Olympics.

Mascherano began his playing career at River Plate (Argentina), before moving to Corinthians (Brazil) and Liverpool (England). He played for Barca from 2010 to 2018, winning 19 titles, including two Champions Leagues and five La Ligas.