Who are Inter Miami?

Inter Miami are one of three American teams featuring at the Club World Cup this summer. Here you can read some key facts and stats about the team co-owned by David Beckham and boasting world-class talent such as Lionel Messi.

Where are Inter Miami from?

Inter Miami are based in Fort Lauderdale, Miami in the American state of Florida.

History 

Inter Miami were founded back in 2018 with David Beckham taking on an important role as co-owner. They joined the MLS for the 2020 season, playing their first game in the league in March of that year, losing 1-0 to Los Angeles FC.

Phil Neville replaced Diego Alonso as manager in March 2021 and the club finished 11th in the Eastern Conference in his first full season in charge.

They failed to have sustained success on the pitch throughout this period, although they did reach the play-offs in the 2022 season, losing to New York City in the first round.

Things started to change in 2023, however, as Neville departed as manager in June of that year with the side bottom of the Eastern Conference and he was replaced by former Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino.

At the same time, talks were ongoing to sign Lionel Messi, who joined the team in July of that year, while former Barca teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba made the move a few days later.

Messi scored the winning free-kick after coming off the bench on his debut in their Leagues Cup win over Cruz Azul. Despite a disappointing MLS performance thanks to their slow start, the club would go on to lift the Leagues Cup trophy that season, their first ever piece of silverware, after beating Nashville on penalties in the final.

They also reached the final of the U.S. Open Cup in 2023 but were beaten 5-4 on penalties by FC Cincinnati.

In 2024, the Herons dominated the Eastern Conference, finishing with a league-record 74 points and taking home the Supporters’ Shield for best regular season record in the process. 

However, they suffered one of the biggest shocks in MLS play-off history when losing 3-2 to Atlanta United in the first round, ending their chances of securing the coveted MLS Cup.

Javier Mascherano took over as manager before the start of this season but they have struggled to live up to the heights they hit last term.

Nickname

Inter Miami are known as the Herons. 

Is Lionel Messi playing at the Club World Cup?

As it stands, Lionel Messi is fit and available for Inter Miami ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup.

One of the greatest players of all time, Messi will be a huge draw at the tournament, with fans paying admission fees to see him, and him only.

The Argentine became the first player ever to win the Ballon d’Or while playing for an MLS club when securing that award in 2023 after helping his side lift the Leagues Cup.

He netted 20 goals and registered 11 assists in just 15 MLS starts as his side took home the Supporters’ Shield last season and has picked up where he left off this time around with eight goals and four assists in nine starts.

To put it simply, Inter Miami have the man from Rosario to thank for their participation in the Club World Cup, so you can imagine they'll be doing everything they can to ensure he features prominently on the big stage.

Notable Players

Current Players

Alongside the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, Inter Miami have a core of iconic players who will all likely feature at the Club World Cup.

Luis Suarez is another prominent player who has been crucial to Inter Miami’s success in recent years. He joined for the 2024 campaign and netted 20 goals and registered nine assists in 21 starts for the club en route to their top spot in the Eastern Conference last term.

While the Uruguayan is not getting any younger, he continues to put up solid numbers, registering six assists and three goals in 11 MLS games this year.

Holding the fort in midfield is one of, if not the greatest, holding midfielder of all time.

Sergio Busquets continues to ooze quality in the MLS nowadays, with the same composure and technical ability that saw him become a legend in La Liga with Barcelona, and with the Spanish national team.

Rounding off, a fourth former Barcelona man, Jordi Alba still flies down the left flank as he used to for Blaugrana.

The Spaniard has eight goals and 22 assists in 72 appearances for Inter Miami.

Former Players

Before Lionel Messi, another iconic Argentinian goalscorer featured for Inter Miami, Gonzalo Higuain. 

After successful spells at Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus, the striker joined the Herons in 2020 and scored 29 goals in 70 games for the club. He also received the MLS Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022.

How did Inter Miami qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup?

Inter Miami qualified for the Club World Cup based on their Supporters’ Shield win from last season. As a result of that they took the host nation place designated by FIFA for this tournament.

Inter Miami Club World Cup group

Inter Miami will crucially play two of their three group games in their home city as they will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.

• Palmeiras

• FC Porto

• Al Ahly

• Inter Miami