Inter Miami claimed their first win of the Javier Mascherano era on Sunday after a penalty shootout victory against Club America.
Academy graduate Santiago Morales was the hero for the Herons as the 17-year-old midfielder scored the winning penalty against the Mexican giants, with Inter Miami fans also impressed with Tomas Aviles’ performance on the night.
One big talking point from the game, though, was Lionel Messi’s reaction to his first goal of 2025, with the Argentine international seemingly provoking the Mexican fans in attendance after gesturing towards the crowd that his nation has won three FIFA World Cups compared to El Tri’s zero.
And former Mexico international Adolfo Bautista was far from pleased with what he saw from Messi in Las Vegas.
Messi lacked ‘professionalism’ in Inter Miami win vs Club America
Taking to his official Instagram account, the former striker claimed Messi lacked professionalism by mocking the Club America and Mexico fans, with Bautista writing: “I admired you as a player. But messing with my country speaks of your lack of professionalism and education.”
With Messi’s actions towards the crowd the main talking point from the match given the forward’s history with facing Mexico in World Cup’s, it’s no surprise that a former star of the national team in Bautista is angry with what the Inter Miami star did in Las Vegas.
Indeed, Messi’s gesture could make the forward a popular villain in this season’s CONCACAF Champions Cup should Inter Miami face off against a Mexican side in the competition, a likely possibility given the strength of Liga MX sides in the tournament.
And for next summer’s World Cup in Mexico, Messi and Argentina could quickly become a team that El Tri fans turn on if they’re once again paired with each other in the competition, something that could only add more fire to the rivalry.
Who else do Inter Miami face this pre-season?
Messi drama aside, Inter Miami got off to a dream start in pre-season with a good win against one of the best sides in Mexico in Club America, with the Herons showing in their first game of 2025 that they could be a force.
| Date | Opponent | Location |
| 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 |
And Inter Miami’s next games this pre-season could see the Florida franchise once again show off their strength ahead of the 2025 season, with the Herons next travelling to Peru to take on Universitario de Deportes.
With other good tests coming up against the likes of Club Deportivo Olimpia and Orlando City SC, Inter Miami are taking the right steps in pre-season this year to prepare for the new campaign, with Mascherano eager to impress for the Chase Stadium side.