Nashville SC have a mouthwatering matchup with Inter Miami on deck, taking on the Herons for the 20th time at Geodis Park tomorrow in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.
To get the latest on Miami, we chatted with Franco Panizo of Miami Total Futbol.
Find Franco's coverage of Inter Miami!
Ben Wright (SixOneFive Soccer): There's been a lot of turnover in the roster with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba retiring and several new additions. How has Javier Mascherano handled it all? Has he made any major system changes as a result?
Franco Panizo (Miami Total Futbol): Javier Mascherano has tweaked his system due to the absences of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, and he is still tweaking it now as he tries to find the best version of this team.
This is a more dynamic and energetic team, capable of pressing higher and more effectively thanks in large part to new forward German Berterame. That said, the team has lost some attacking prowess and technical ability with the two Spaniards’ exits, which has also led to some issues in the build-out.
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BW: What do you think this team's ceiling is in 2026?
FP: Inter Miami and Lionel Messi with reinforcements at certain positions (despite a pair of key losses) = always a contender for any title.
They should easily be an MLS Cup favorite again as well as a contender for the Concacaf Champions Cup. That doesn’t mean they win everything, but the ceiling is high because the quality – especially from Messi – is there.
BW: How heavily do you expect Miami to prioritize Concacaf Champions Cup?
FP: Owner Jorge Mas told a few of us local media an hour or so BEFORE the last MLS Cup Final that Inter Miami won, that the MAIN goal for 2026 was the Concacaf Champions Cup, given that it qualifies the winning team for the next Club World Cup.
Prevailing in the regional tournament will not be easy, but Inter Miami is fully focused on doing so with its talented roster.
BW: Do you have a lineup/score prediction? Any injuries to note?
FP: New Spanish left back Sergio Reguilón just returned from an injury sustained in preseason and is training with the team again, but it’s unclear what his availability is for this first game vs Nashville SC.
Assuming he is still not ready to start, then I think you'll see this XI:
My prediction is a 2-1 win for Inter Miami. The South Florida side is just too talented to be troubled this early in the competition against a foe that, on paper, is inferior.
Thanks so much to Franco for chatting with us! Check out Miami Total Futbol for everything Inter Miami.
