David Beckham’s Inter Miami need a new head coach after Javier Mascherano resigned on Tuesday after stuttering start to the 2026 Major League Soccer season.
Lionel Messi’s team, the MLS champions under Mascherano’s guidance, are third in the Eastern Conference with 12 points from seven games. They also crashed out of the Champions Cup at the hands of MLS rivals Nashville.
The team have also drawn the first two games at their lavish new stadium, both 2-2 scores against New York Red Bulls and Austin.
Guillermo Hoyos comes in and replaces Mascherano on an interim head coach basis. Miami is next in action on Saturday on the road to Colorado Rapids.
Messi is close friends with Mascherano, with the two playing together for the Argentina national team.
An Inter Miami statement said Tuesday that Mascherano had chosen to step aside due to personal reasons.
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‘I want to let everyone know that, for personal reasons, I have decided to end my tenure as head coach,’ Mascherano said.
‘I will always carry with me the memory of our first star, and wherever I am, I will continue to wish the club all the best moving forward.’
It’s another blow on a personal level for Messi, who also lost two friends in the playing staff with both Sergio Busquets and Jordia Alba, ex-Barcelona players who followed him from Europe to Miami, retiring at the end of the 2025 season.
But Miami spent big to replace them. MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair and former Houston star center back Micael came in as the defensive part of the team was rebuilt.
In attack, Miami spent $15million to bring in Mexico striker German Berterame, who has only scored once in nine games so far for his new team.
