Inter Miami’s pre-season preparations are firmly underway, with Javier Mascherano set for a busy few weeks ahead of the start of the 2025 MLS season next month.
The January transfer window means a number of signings are expected in Florida as the month progresses, with Inter Miami close to signing Telasco Segovia from Casa Pia to replace Diego Gomez in a $2.5m deal.
With Inter Miami also set to sign Gonzalo Lujan from San Lorenzo in a transfer around $800,000, the Herons are putting in a number of exciting offers for players who could help Mascherano in a big way this year.
And one of Inter Miami’s pre-season opponents has now shared how he feels about facing the Herons and Lionel Messi.
Universitario manager relishing Inter Miami and Messi encounter
Speaking to the press, Universitario de Deportes manager Fabian Bustos revealed his excitement at facing Inter Miami and ‘the best in the world’ in Messi, with the Herons heading to Latin America for this year’s pre-season tour.
Tim Howard criticized Inter Miami’s pre-season plans last year as the Herons made the bold decision to embark on a worldwide tour that took the Florida franchise from El Salvador to Saudi Arabia to Japan, exhausting players before the MLS campaign even started.
Yet Inter Miami appear to have learned their lesson this time around, and Universitario manager Bustos is excited to welcome Messi and company to Peru later this month in what will be a fascinating fixture for the Herons.
Bustos said when asked how he feels facing Inter Miami and Messi: “It’s great for us, and for anyone in football, to face the best and the best in the world is important. Imagine Messi at such an important club with so many stars, it’s going to be great.”
Who else will Inter Miami play in pre-season?
Inter Miami clearly learnt that traveling the entire globe for a pre-season tour wasn’t the smartest idea with a squad featuring some of the greatest players of all time who are now in the twilight of their careers.
| Date | Opponent | Location |
| January 18th | Club America | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| January 30th | Universitario de Deportes | Lima, Peru |
| February 2nd | Sporting San Miguelito | Panama City, Panama |
| February 8th | Club Deportivo Olimpia | San Pedro Sula, Honduras |
| February 14th | Orlando City SC | Tampa, Florida, USA |
As a result, Inter Miami’s pre-season tour will take place a lot closer to home, with the Heron’s trip to Peru to face Bustos’ Universitario the furthest Mascherano’s side will travel this winter, with the tour beginning and ending in the United States.
Indeed, Inter Miami have made the right decision in keeping their pre-season plans in the Americas, and the likes of Messi will benefit greatly from the reduction in travel compared to what the Herons went through last year.