How to replace Lionel Messi: Inter Miami's relative unknowns who must step up once Argentine superstar heads into Copa America

The man who sparked Martino's praise to begin with, Leo Campana was Miami's hero this past weekend. His last-gasp winner against D.C. United was a huge moment for the striker, who was once the guy in the Miami attack. The arrival of Messi and, more importantly, Suarez, has since relegated him to the bench, but he's taken it all in stride.

It's easy to forget, though, that Campana is the second-leading scorer in the club's short history. He's hit double digits in each of his first two seasons in Miami, and the Ecuadorian is very consistent, with the only thing keeping him off the field being that he isn't Messi or Suarez. Teams across MLS would love to have him as a starter... Miami have him as a super-sub.

We've seen him paired with Suarez at times in 2024, and we'll almost certainly see Campana lead the line without the Uruguayan veteran at points going forward. When those moments come, Campana will be key.

“We are going to suffer during the Copa America, but we have to know how to suffer," Martino said. "Leo Campana’s goal will give him confidence. Players like him and Robert Taylor will be fundamental in this period.”

Speaking of Taylor... The Finland international became last season's cult hero after striking up a strong understanding with Messi, and he remains a key player this campaign.

He's not scoring goal after goal like he did in 2023, but Taylor does provide valuable width to the Miami attack. He has just two MLS goals this season, but that doesn't fully explain the things he does when Messi and Suarez are hammering in the finishes. With those two, Miami need some kind of vertical threat, and Taylor is that player.

When Messi or Suarez aren't around, however, he's one of the players that'll need to pick up the slack. Taylor is very committed to that cause, too, as he said he'll reject any calls from the Finnish national team to focus on Miami.

"For me, I have to make a difficult decision sometimes," Taylor said, "but I feel like my home is here and I need to focus on bringing the results here."

We at least know who will be taking Miami's set-pieces when Messi isn't available... Marias Rojas' ridiculous free-kick against CF Montreal kickstarted a furious comeback in early May, and it also showed that Rojas is a very real contributor to this Miami attack. In just 310 minutes, he has three goals and an assist. Those numbers are nearly Messi-like!

Rojas isn't Messi, of course, and the club doesn't expect him to be. He is a valuable, veteran creator, however, who can help lift the attack in Messi's absence

Miami's homegrown starlet Benjamin Cremaschi is back in action after missing the first few months of the season due to a hernia injury, and he looks ready to make up for lost time.

Cremaschi was originally eased back into the XI, but the talented teenager has been named to the starting XI in each of Miami's past three games. He's already scored two goals, too, including the winner in Miami's comeback win over CF Montreal.

The 19-year-old midfielder is still growing as a player and is nowhere near a finished product. He took major strides last season, but there are still plenty more to take. But despite his age, he's a player that Miami can rely on, and they'll have to over the next few months.

There's a reason that Julian Gressel is one of Martino's favorites dating back to his time in Atlanta. Gressel is a fantastic striker of the ball and one of the best crossers in MLS, meaning that when he has the ball at his feet, he's dangerous, no matter where he is on the field.

Gressel's had ups and downs this season, but you can't deny the creative element he brings to the Miami team. Whether played centrally or as a wingback, his ability to place a cross can turn anything into a goal-scoring chance.

Without Messi's creativity, Miami will need to make more of those chances, and Gressel is a player who has the capability to step up over the summer.

We also have to acknowledge the obvious here: even without Messi, Miami have plenty of Barcelona legends to rely on. Suarez could miss out on time to go on his own Copa America run, but both Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will remain in South Beach.

Both players add so much to Miami, even if they often go overshadowed due to the brilliance of their attacking teammates. Alba is such a dominant presence on the left-hand side who creates mismatches and chances that are vital to how this Inter Miami team operates. Busquets, meanwhile, is the brain of this whole operation. The way he manipulates a midfield is still so fun to watch, and while his legs don't move like they used to, they never moved as fast as his brain to begin with.

The point is this: you replace Messi by committee. Suarez replaces his goals, Busquets replaces his brain and all of the other players listed above replace his creativity. Even together, it's not the same, but Miami has the pieces in place to survive a summer that will be very, very difficult without Messi leading the way.