Surprising ‘concern’ emerges for Inter Miami after reuniting Lionel Messi with Luis Suarez as Tata Martino readies his side for Al-Hilal & Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr

The Herons were expected to be virtually unstoppable in the final third after adding another former Barcelona star to their ranks.

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After acquiring Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in 2023, Uruguayan striker Suarez was snapped up at the start of 2024.

Inter Miami have their sights set on more major silverware, but have failed to find the target through their opening two pre-season games against El Salvador and FC Dallas. Martino has said of that surprising lack of firepower: “If there is any concern, it is about scoring goals. But we are looking for team strength that little by little I think we are going to achieve. It is always better to win if you can, but it is not the priority. We have it clear what we need to find on this [Asian] tour. We are looking for fine-tuning. There are other objectives that go beyond the result.”

Martino’s plans have also been impacted by a season-ending ACL injury picked up by Facundo Farias, with the Argentine coach saying of seeing his 21-year-old fellow countryman suffer more bad luck on the fitness front: “Facu’s injury has moved us all and makes us have a slightly strange taste from the two games we played. But if we think about it from an organisational standpoint and in what we have planned, we are on the right track.”

Inter Miami could bring in another creative playmaker before the new MLS season gets underway, but for now their focus is locked on Riyadh Cup outings against Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr – who may yet have Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks if the Portuguese superstar can shake off an untimely knock.