Javier Mascherano is the new head coach of Inter Miami, the team announced on Tuesday.
Mascherano, whose contract runs through the 2027 season, replaces Tata Martino, who resigned last week due to personal reasons.
The 40-year-old Mascherano comes to MLS after coaching the Argentina U-20 and U-23 men’s teams since 2021. He recently guided Argentina to the knockout stages of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“This job requires someone with the experience to maximize our unique collection of talent – from our global superstars, to our fast-growing homegrown players, to our young international prospects and everything in between,” said Jorge Mas, managing owner of Inter Miami. a statement.
“Javier has gained unparalleled experience in 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 is an important addition to our club as we continue our quest to be among the world’s best and set a new standard for our club. football in North America.”
Before moving into management, Mascherano had a long career at clubs such as River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham United, Liverpool and Barcelona, where he won five La Liga titles, as well as the Champions League, UEFA Cup and FIFA Club. Two times world championship.
During his eight seasons at Barcelona, Mascherano was part of a Barça team that also included current Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez. He also represented Argentina 147 times at international level, playing in four World Cups and five Copa América tournaments alongside Messi, both of whom were also part of La Albiceleste’s gold medal-winning team at the 2008 Olympics.
Mascherano joins an Inter Miami team after a disappointing 2024 season. After collecting 74 points and the MLS Supporters’ Shield during the regular season, the team crashed out in the first round of the playoffs to Atlanta United.
Will there be any changes to the 2025 schedule? Alba and Suárez’s contracts expired after the season and Inter Miami are reportedly in negotiations to bring them both back. Busquets and Messi have one year left on their contracts and Mas said last week that he expects Messi to stay beyond 2025 as the club moves into its new stadium ahead of the 2026 MLS season.
