OFFCIAL: Inter Miami appoint Argentina legend Mascherano as head coach

OFFICIAL: Inter Miami appoints Argentine legend Mascherano as head coach

Inter Miami CF announced today that it has appointed Argentinian and FC Barcelona legend Javier Mascherano as head coach, signing a contract for the 2027 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. The Argentinian joins after a stint as head coach of the Argentina U-20 and Olympic national teams, and will assume coaching responsibilities at Inter Miami upon receipt of his working documentation.

“This job requires someone with the experience to maximize our unique pool of talent – ​​from our global superstars, to our fast-growing homegrown players, to our young international prospects and everything in between. Javier has gained unparalleled experience throughout his career, from playing on the biggest stages in the world to coaching at international youth level; he has the mix of skills and experience we were looking for, even having direct coaching experience with Tomás Avilés, Facundo Farías, Federico Redondo and Benjamin Cremaschi. We believe Javier will be an important addition to our club as we continue our quest to be among the world's best and set a new standard for soccer in North America,” said Managing Owner Jorge Mas.

“Throughout his career as one of the best players in the world and as an experienced coach, Javier has always demonstrated what makes him great: ruthless determination with the knowledge, instincts and understanding to back it up. We are very excited to welcome him to lead our team,” said co-owner David Beckham.

“As we continue to aim high as an organization, I am pleased to welcome Javier and his family to our team so that we can continue to build on this ambitious project together,” said Raúl Sanllehí, president of football operations.

“It is an honor for me to lead a club like Inter Miami, and a privilege that I will try to make the most of. I was attracted by the undeniable ambition of the organization and the infrastructure it has to support it,” said Mascherano. “I look forward to working with the people at Inter Miami to help the club reach new heights and provide fans with even more unforgettable moments.”

Mascherano started coaching when he was appointed manager of the Argentina U-20 national team in December 2021, after a stellar playing career. With the Argentina youth team, he coached at several major international tournaments, including the 2024 Olympic Games. He also managed the teams at the 2023 U-20 FIFA World Cup, the 2022 South American Games, the 2023 U-20 South American Championship and the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in 2024.

The former defender and midfielder's successful career saw him play for a number of teams, most notably Liverpool FC in the English Premier League and FC Barcelona in the Spanish LaLiga, as well as the Argentina national team. He brings elite, title-winning experience to Inter Miami from his playing days; His achievements include making over 350 appearances for Barcelona, ​​winning two UEFA Champions League titles, five LaLiga titles, five Copa del Rey titles, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and three Supercopa de España titles. He was named Barcelona's Player of the Season for 2013–14 and included in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season for 2014–15.

Mascherano also reached the UEFA Champions League final in his first season with Liverpool, won a Torneo Clausura title in his first senior season with River Plate and a Brazilian Série A championship in his only season with Corinthians.

The San Lorenzo native has represented Argentina internationally 147 times, often captaining La Albiceleste. His total number of appearances is the second-highest in the country's history, behind only current Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi. He has competed in two Summer Olympics, five Copa América tournaments and four FIFA World Cups. During this time he finished second in four Copa Américas and one World Cup. He also won two Olympic gold medals with the Argentina youth teams, in 2004 and 2008; he played alongside Messi to secure the gold medal in 2008.

At Barcelona, ​​Mascherano was teammates with current Inter Miami players Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez. He is also familiar with some of Inter Miami's young players, having worked with them on Argentina's youth national teams; Mascherano called Tomás Avilés, Benjamin Cremaschi, Facundo Farías and Federico Redondo at different points in his international coaching career with Argentina.