Javier Mascherano fits Inter Miami's 'friends with Lionel Messi' brief - but new manager's coaching experience suggests MLS glory is far from guaranteed

A stout defensive midfielder-turned-solid centre-back, Mascherano went down as one of the greats for both Argentina and Barcelona during his playing career. He was a serial winner for the Blaugrana, earning five La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues during his eight years at Camp Nou. He couldn't replicate that success at international level, though only Messi has more than his 147 caps for Argentina, while he was named to the Copa America Team of the Tournament on four occasions.

Coaching always seemed likely to be in Mascherano's future, especially given the glittering list of mentors he played under that includes Rafa Benitez, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. But thus far, his managerial career has been underwhelming at best.

Mascherano took over the Argentina Under-20s team in January 2022, but has had a mixed record - particularly at major tournaments. He failed to carry La Albiceleste past the group stages of the 2023 U20 South American Championship, and lost in the last 16 of the U20 World Cup on home soil later that year after initially failing to qualify before the tournament's venue was switched at late notice. His Argentina side also lost in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Olympics despite having four World Cup winners in their ranks.

The remit for any Miami manager - or anyone who coaches Messi, as it happens - is to win. Mascherano will be expected to end the 2025 season hoisting MLS Cup (though a Leagues Cup title or CONCACAF Champions League trophy wouldn't go amiss, either). Controlling that expectation while navigating the nuances of an MLS season, all while having to deal with the circus around America's most scrutinised club, would be a struggle for even the most experienced coach.

Mascherano has neither played nor coached in MLS, and as Martino discovered in the play-offs, this is a very unique league. Mascherano will have to build a cohesive system that can win in both the regular season and play-offs, all while conceding that his former team-mates might need the occasional game off.

Like most things for Miami, Mascherano's potential success will start and end with Messi. The pair are not just former team-mates, but friends. They lined up 298 times together for Barcelona, and on 111 more occasions for Argentina, while they have retained a good relationship since Mascherano's retirement. Miami were always going to want a coach who had a connection with Messi, and Mascherano emphatically checks that box.

No one is bigger than Messi at Miami, so the best they could do was hire someone he both likes and trusts. This job is as much about keeping the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner happy so he can see out his career in the best way possible.

Mascherano will also certainly have the respect of Busquets, Alba and - if he signs a new contract to stay for 2025 - Suarez. Quite whether building a whole franchise around an admittedly glorious era at one specific European club is the best strategy from an on-field perspective remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that the new boss will have the gravitas required to succeed.

The biggest obstacle facing Mascherano is likely to be whether he has the coaching nous required to succeed in MLS. Miami's shock play-off defeat to Atlanta United exposed the team's lopsided squad, and Martino was helpless to find a solution, with a lack of midfield depth eventually proving his undoing.

Messi might be head and shoulders above his opposing players when it comes to raw ability, but he lacks the power, pace and athleticism in his advancing years that is required to fully succeed in America's top-flight. That he was surrounded by veterans, then, didn't help Martino in the end, and Mascherano will need to find solutions that allow his superstars to play while ensuring his overall team doesn't lack for balance.

The signs from his time in charge of Argentina's youth sides, however, are not encouraging. Mascherano fell short of expectations at each of the major tournaments he coached at, with his critics particularly strong in response to what they felt was a timid performance when exiting the U20 World Cup in 2023 as expectant hosts.

The ex-Liverpool midfielder generally sticks rigidly to a 4-3-3 formation, but it remains to be seen whether Miami's current roster is cut out for a system that requires a lot from its front six. A reinvention might be required, but it's not known whether Mascherano is capable of such a change as yet.

With Mascherano's arrival now confirmed, Miami's hierarchy will now get to work on reshaping the squad in their new coach's image. Brighton-bound Diego Gomez is definitely departing while Suarez is yet to decide if he fancies one final stab at ending his illustrious career with another trophy. Rumours persist, meanwhile, of interest in both Neymar and Paul Pogba, with the club clearly having an insatiable thirst for globally-recognised superstars.

However the roster looks come the start of 2025, Mascherano's job is clear: win. Yes, his experience of coaching at youth levels may help him develop some of Miami's talented youngsters, such as Benjamin Cremaschi and Ian Fray, but as long as he is lifting MLS Cup next December, few will care how he got there.

For now, though, Mascherano is a hire that fits Miami's brief to continue growing their Messi-centric brand. Whether he is the right man to deliver what is required on the field, though, is debatable at best.