When the final whistle blows on Saturday night at Chase Stadium, an era could come to an end for Inter Miami—they won’t want it to, but it could.
After crashing out of the MLS Cup playoffs in the first round to Atlanta United last season, the Herons face the same challenge again, now playing a decisive Game 3 against lower-seeded Nashville SC.
Should Miami lose, it would send Spanish legends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets into retirement and end the FC Barcelona era of Inter Miami, which began in the summer of 2023 when they signed Lionel Messi.
Luis Suárez won’t have the chance to be on the pitch with his longtime Barcelona and Miami teammates after picking up a suspension in Game 2.
“I hope it's also an extra motivation to be able to help Busquets finish his career in the best possible way," head coach Javier Mascherano said. “So, to enjoy his last moments in professional football, hopefully it will be until December, and that it will be in the best way.”
With all those factors, and the imminent end of the FC Barcelona foursome whenever Miami’s season closes, it makes Saturday night’s clash with Nashville the most important in club history.
Mas and Beckham’s Dream Falls Short?
Famed for their time in La Liga, the foursome came to Miami not just for a last chance to play together, but also to extend their lengthy trophy résumés.
For owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham, the stars made Miami the destination club they envisioned, and made the bright pink shirt a notable identity worldwide.
Off the pitch, it has been a massive success. Messi and his teammates' jerseys are among the best-selling in MLS, and the team has helped break attendance records not just across the other 29 MLS teams, but in other countries through the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
When it comes to the on-pitch product, though, they’ve fallen short of the key goals, considering the talent.
They captured the 2023 Leagues Cup and set an MLS regular-season points record to win the Supporters’ Shield in 2024, but have fallen short of all other trophies, including the ultimate prizes of MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup.
While they’ve come close other times, they’ve tripped on the big day—like losing the 2023 U.S. Open Cup final and 2025 Leagues Cup final. In continental competition, they crashed out in the semifinals.
This season, they had an immense opportunity to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and Club World Cup. Still, they fell short, despite spending an MLS-leading $49 million in salary, according to the recently released MLSPA salary information.
Business-wise, Miami has been a success, but without advancing on Saturday, let alone winning MLS Cup, the on-pitch success of the FC Barcelona era is likely to go down as one which never lived up to its potential.
“You can't assemble The Avengers and not win the MLS Cup,” two-time MLS Golden Boot winner turned pundit Bradley Wright-Phillips said on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. "I understand it's very difficult to win it—and their time over here will still be filled with success - but as far as not winning a cup, we're going to judge that.”
A Trophy-Less Season for Messi?
Busquets and Alba may not be around next season, but Messi has committed his future to the team, signing a contract through 2028. It will allow him to lead the team to opening their new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, and to take other shots at winning the Concacaf Champions Cup and other trophies.
Without MLS Cup in 2025, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would end a season without a team trophy for just the second time in his 22-year professional career.
In 14 seasons, Messi has won two or more team trophies, but since taking his career to the United States in 2023, he has claimed just three, including the Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield with Miami, and the 2024 Copa América with Argentina, despite not playing in that final.
Messi’s only season without any team silverware with club or country came in 2019-20, when Barcelona fell short, and the 2020 Copa América was postponed due to COVID-19.
2025 Team Pic 📸 pic.twitter.com/EZUpwIGfIL
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 29, 2025
The Argentine will have other chances with Miami and seems likely to play at the 2026 World Cup, but falling short of a team trophy would be a blunder on his otherwise nearly impeccable résumé.
Should the Herons advance on Saturday, they would need just three more wins to capture the MLS Cup, taking on either Columbus Crew or FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semifinal, with eyes on lifting MLS Cup on Dec. 6.
“The Inter Miami brand is very strong, not only in the United States but also globally,” Messi said in a recent interview. “I think the club made a huge change and grew in every way, both athletically and institutionally, and I think it still has a lot more to grow and continue to improve in every way.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Saturday's MLS Cup Playoff Game Is Inter Miami’s Most Important Ever.
