Javier Mascherano has unexpectedly resigned as head coach of Inter Miami shortly after leading the team to its first MLS title. His departure comes as Lionel Messi prepares for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
Why did Javier Mascherano leave Inter Miami? MLS title winning coach resigns in stunning move originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Fresh off the club's first-ever Major League Soccer title, Lionel Messi was primed to usher Inter Miami into its next phase of growth, with an eye on the coming 2026 World Cup in North America.
Messi, who won the 2025 MLS MVP award while leading the league in goal-scoring, was looking ahead to what is likely to be his final World Cup, hoping to push Argentina to defend its FIFA crown.
However, out of nowhere came a major shakeup at his club, with head coach Javier Mascherano suddenly announcing his departure from his post in charge of the first team.
The Sporting News details what we know about Mascherano's sudden exit from Messi's side, and where Inter Miami will go from here.
In a stunning development on Tuesday, April 14, Inter Miami announced: "Javier Mascherano has decided to bring his tenure as Head Coach to an end. A champion who, together with his staff, will always be part of the InterMiamiCF family and forever linked to our first star."
The club post was the first sign of any move, as there had been no reporting of a coaching change prior to the announcement. In Inter Miami's release, Mascherano stated: "I want to let everyone know that, for personal reasons, I have decided to end my tenure as head coach of Inter Miami CF."
The move came as a complete surprise. Mascherano was one of Messi's closest friends from the Argentina national team and had led Inter Miami to the club's first-ever MLS title the previous year in his first season in charge.
The team was off to a solid, if not spectacular, start to the 2026 MLS season, having won three, drawn three, and lost one game to leave them third in the Eastern Conference standings. The only true blemish on the campaign was their early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup, having been knocked out in the second round at the hands of Nashville SC.
The Athletic's MLS insider Tom Bogert posted to social media shortly after the announcement that he was "working on more details behind what led to [his] departure."
According to Bogert, Mascherano's assistant manager Guillermo Hoyos led Inter Miami training on Monday and is a candidate to take over the post on an interim basis.
From there, it's hard to say who will take over at Inter Miami permanently, with a search likely to commence in the short-term. It could take some time to find a permanent candidate, as Mascherano's exit was so sudden, leaving the club starting from scratch.
The Herons could turn to Hoyos permanently if his interim spell proves positive, or they could go in a few different directions if hiring an outside candidate. They could look to find someone with close ties to Messi, with Xavi Hernandez's name likely to be floated given their connections from Barcelona. Or, they could go with someone that has more MLS experience, such as recently departed Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy, who won the 2023 MLS title with Columbus Crew.
The reasons behind Javier Mascherano's resignation have not been publicly detailed, making it a surprising move for the club.
Mascherano's exit could disrupt the team's momentum following their first MLS title and may affect their preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
As of now, Inter Miami has not announced a replacement for Javier Mascherano following his sudden resignation.
Javier Mascherano led Inter Miami to its first-ever MLS title during his tenure as head coach.
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.
Arshdeep Singh makes history as the first PBKS bowler to reach 100 IPL wickets!
California's top high school football prospects are on the move this weekend.
Viktor Hovland shines with a 64 at RBC Heritage, Gotterup scores 70.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.