Javier Mascherano is leaving Inter Miami for “personal reasons,” the team announced Tuesday.
It’s an unexpected move as Mascherano, Lionel Messi, and Miami won the MLS Cup in December during the manager’s first season leading the team. The club opened its $1 billion Nu Stadium and sprawling Miami Freedom Park earlier this month.
“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,” Mascherano said in a statement. “I have no doubt that the Club will continue to achieve success in the future.”
MLS is early in its 2026 campaign. The season began in late February and runs through November, with a seven-week break for the World Cup this summer. Inter Miami is currently third in the Eastern Conference, which it won last year, but last month fell out of Concacaf Champions Cup contention.
“We respect his decision and are deeply grateful for everything he contributed, wishing him nothing but the very best in his professional and personal future,” managing owner Jorge Mas said in a statement.
Mascherano joined David Beckham’s club in November 2024 to coach his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate Messi. His contract ran through the 2027 season.
Inter Miami said Mascherano’s coaching staff is also leaving with him, possibly indicating a move elsewhere. Sporting director Guillermo Hoyos will step in as head coach “for the upcoming matches,” the team said.
Before Inter Miami, Mascherano coached Argentina’s U-20 and U-23 teams, including at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
