Despite crashing out of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs against Atlanta United, Miami were by far the best team through the regular season. With 22 wins in 34 matches, they hit 74 points to set a new single-season MLS points record, all while missing Lionel Messi for over a third of the season.

The Inter Miami team plane landed at 4 a.m. Thursday after a brutal 1-0 road victory against Sporting KC in sub-zero temperatures in Kansas City. Coach Javier Mascherano gave players the day off, saying they deserved it after playing in conditions he described as “inhumane”, so they had only Friday to prepare for Saturday’s big home game.

Inter Miami approach the 2025 season with one goal in their sights, to lift MLS Cup for the first time. This is the final guaranteed year of Lionel Messi’s two-and-a-half-year deal and, although he may choose to extend, it represents the team’s best chance at success.