Javier Mascherano resigns as Inter Miami manager months after winning MLS Cup
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano walks to the tunnel after receiving back-to-back yellow cards during a game against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on March 14, 2026 Photograph: Sean Rayford/Getty Images Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano has stunningly stepped down as manager of the MLS club, just months removed from winning the 2025 MLS Cup title. In the club’s announcement of the move, Mascherano said he was stepping down for “personal reasons,” though later on the announcement specifies that the staff that was hired along with him in late 2024 will also be departing the club. Related: ‘We’re home’: Even in a draw, Inter Miami’s stadium opener was a win for David Beckham Inter Miami said sporting director Guillermo Hoyos will take over as head coach on an interim basis, with chief soccer officer Alberto Marrero moving into Hoyos’ old job.
Mascherano arrived at Inter Miami ahead of the 2025 season with plenty of question marks, having only coached at youth national team level with his native Argentina since retiring as a player. Nonetheless, Mascherano and his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi stormed to their first league title as a club, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in last season’s MLS Cup final. Inter Miami’s title defense has gotten off to a somewhat difficult start.
The club has drawn both of its first two matches at the brand new Nu Stadium, though they have won three of their five games in league play on the year. The biggest disappointment so far has come at continental level, with Inter Miami crashing out of the Concacaf Champions Cup to Nashville SC in the Round of 16 stage last month. Mascherano still has Messi, but has had a great deal of roster turnover to deal with since Miami lifted teh trophy last year.
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba both retired after that championship match, with Luís Suárez relegated to a abench role after the big-money acquisition of Germán Berterame, who has gotten off to a slow start this season. “First and foremost, I would like to thank the club for the trust they placed in me, every employee who is part of the organization for the collective effort, but especially the players, who made it possible for us to experience unforgettable moments,” Mascherano said in a prepared statement. “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.
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