Next Inter Miami manager: Zinedine Zidane, Xavi and the top candidates to become Lionel Messi's new coach following Tata Martino's departure from MLS' star-studded outfit

A Barcelona legend as a player, Xavi played alongside Messi until his departure from the club in 2015. The duo played nearly 300 matches together for the Blaugrana, including the 2015 Champions League final that also saw Alba, Suarez and Busquets feature in the XI.

Xavi, then, feels like the most logical choice for the Miami job, as he knows his ex-Barcelona team-mates like no other, and has proved he is a capable manager at the highest level. He led the Blaugranato a La Liga title and Spanish Supercopa in 2022-23, while he also helped develop Lamine Yamal, who has emerged as the most impressive young attacker in the world.

In addition to his accolades in Spain, Xavi also won seven trophies as manager of Qatari side Al Sadd over the course of three seasons from 2019-2021.

With Miami, he could come in and establish an identity, while using familiar relationships to create a baseline for what is expected under him as a manager.

Former team-mate of Miami co-owner Beckham, Zinedine Zidane is the fever dream on this wishlist. The ex-Real Madrid midfielder and manager would be the biggest coup possible for the Supporters' Shield winners, but Miami have shown they have pull before, so why not dream big?

Zidane has not returned to the touchline since his decision to resign from Real Madrid in 2021. He managed the club in two stints from 2016-2018 and 2019-2021, winning three Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, two Supercopas and two Club World Cup trophies. The France legend managed to bring together a dressing room filled with massive talents and, in some cases, bigger egos and turned them into a winning machine.

Of course, taking the Miami job would feel like a step down, especially as, if rumours are to be believed, Zidane is holding out to take charge of the French national team. However, if he were to arrive in South Beach, he would have the honour of becoming the first - and likely only - man to ever coach both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In 2023, Zidane did attend the US Open Cup final as a special guest of Beckham's, meaning he is already vaguely familiar with Miami and has seen them in action. Could he, then, be lured to Florida by his friend and ex-club-mate?

Former MLS star Federico Higuain is currently in charge of Miam's MLS NEXT Pro team, Inter Miami II, and he's found success there, too. He led them to a sixth-placed finish in 2024, winning 14 of 28 games, while earning a post-season spot in his second year as the club's manager, albeit they matched the senior side in losing out in the first round of the play-offs.

Given he is already known to the club, Higuain has to be a legitimate candidate, and one with plenty of U.S. soccer experience. From 2012-21, the attacker made over 200 appearances in MLS with the Columbus Crew, D.C. United and Inter Miami. He was well-known across the league as a dangerous forward in the final-third of the pitch, and was well-respected, too.

If Miami were to promote internally, Higuain would be an intriguing hire. He likely already has relationships with most of the first-team squad, can speak both English and Spanish and is well-versed in how the league works and operates.

Javier Mascherano played alongside Messi at Barcelona from 2010-2018, and represented Argentina from 2003-2018, as well. The pair have a close relationship, and during his playing days, Mascherano was one of the most well-respected individuals in the game.

In terms of coaching, though, the 40-year-old is still relatively new to the scene, even if he does have some experience having led the Argentina Under-20s since 2021, which included a run to the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics. In the build-up to the Games, he even held a conversation with Inter Miami's Benjamin Cremaschi, a dual national of Argentina and the U.S., and offered him the advice of pursuing a career with the USMNT rather than his own side.

Mascherano hasn't always impressed in his short coaching career, but may now be looking to take the next step. An opportunity to reunite with Messi and friends in South Beach would likely be an ideal scenario for him.

After leading France's U23s to the Gold Medal match at the Paris Olympics, Thierry Henry has yet to take a new coaching job, and is instead focusing on his broadcasting career.

During his playing days, the Frenchman lined up alongside Messi for three years at Barcelona, meaning they already have an established relationship. However, prior to taking the Olympic gig in his homeland, Henry's stints as head coach of Monaco and CF Montreal have not been overly impressive.

He is, admittedly, one of the few candidates with a relationship with Messi who also has MLS experience, meaning he ticks all the boxes for Miami in terms of a qualified individual who knows the league and has experience of having high-profile individuals in the dressing room. Whether the former Arsenal forward is quite ready to return to the dugout, however, remains to be seen.