Inter Miami could potentially face off against two high-profile Brazilian teams in preparation for the 2024 Major League Soccer regular season.
According to a report from GOAL, organizers of the Florida Cup, an annual exhibition tournament that features some of the best teams from around the world, are keen to invite the Herons to participate in the 2024 edition of the tournament, alongside Flamengo (the winners of the 2019 tournament) and Sao Paulo, the current Copa Brasil holders.
This won’t be the first time that Inter Miami will take on a Brazilian team. The club faced Vasco da Gama in a pre-season match in January of this year, where they lost 3-0.
In the past, the tournament featured several European teams including Everton, PSV, and Ajax. This caused a change in the schedule which led to conflicts for Brazilian teams, resulting in their inability to participate.
In 2024, however, organizers are looking to take the tournament back to its roots by hosting it in January.
Busy 2024 preseason for Inter Miami
Miami will want to have a busy pre-season in 2024.
With the team partaking in several competitions next year, including the CONCACAF Champions Cup, head coach Tata Martino will need time to enforce his tactical style – something he had a difficult time doing in 2023.
Playing against well-coached teams such as Flamengo and Sao Paulo will only help Miami get to the level they need to challenge for MLS Cup.
Flamengo currently sit 5th in their domestic league, while Sao Paulo is struggling in 10th place. Regardless of the standings, Inter Miami will want to face as much competition as possible to achieve their goals next year. Playing Brazilian powerhouses is just the way to go about it.
It remains to be seen if Miami will accept the invitation, but if they do, expect them to be very competitive.