Just four weeks ago, Javier Mascherano unexpectedly stepped down as Inter Miami head coach in the middle of the 2026 Major League Soccer season. Since then, rumors of a possible conflict with Lionel Messi have fueled speculation, and now the coach has finally addressed Leo publicly.
Mascherano attended an event in Mexico this weekend tied to El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, as a legend of the Catalan side. There, he spoke with reporters and, among other topics, was asked about how he has seen Messi in recent weeks.
“Good, good. Honestly, he always looks good,” Mascherano replied. While the coach did not explicitly say anything controversial and even smiled while answering the question, his unusually brief response drew attention and opened the door to further speculation.
Mascherano’s abrupt resignation was officially described as being due to “personal reasons” in the statement released at the time by Inter Miami, and so far neither side has provided further clarification. A similar situation occurred at the end of 2024, when Gerardo Martino also stepped down as the club’s head coach.
The relationship between Messi and Mascherano
Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano were teammates with the Argentina national team between 2005 and 2018, playing together in four World Cups, four Copa America tournaments, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. They also shared the field at Barcelona between 2010 and 2017.
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That close relationship was considered one of the main reasons why Inter Miami chose him as head coach despite his limited managerial experience, which consisted mainly of his stint with Argentina’s U-20 national team.
Throughout those years, whenever Mascherano was asked about Messi, he consistently praised him heavily — something that was notably absent this time. “I’m fortunate because I get to enjoy Leo up close. Sometimes people see him on television, but I’m closer to him. Leo is the best player to ever play this sport. He keeps proving it, and I’m very happy with him,” the coach said last year, in stark contrast to his short response this week.
Mascherano speaks about Argentina and the 2026 World Cup
In addition to discussing Lionel Messi’s current situation at Inter Miami, Javier Mascherano also spoke about his expectations for Argentina with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just one month away.
“Argentina have a team that is in very good form, and that creates huge expectations,” Mascherano said before wishing Lionel Scaloni’s squad success. “Hopefully they can win the championship again. That’s what all Argentinians want.”
