2025 Inter Miami CF season

Argentinian manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino resigned at the end of the 2024 season after two years at the club and was replaced on November 26 by Javier Mascherano, the former manager of the Argentina under-20 team.^[8][9] Sporting director Chris Henderson left Miami in December to join Atlanta United FC.^[10] The team's captain, Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi, has a contract through the end of the 2025 season.^[11] The team had several key players who had contracts that were set to expire during the 2024–25 offseason, including striker Luis Suárez and defender Jordi Alba, who had a club option for 2025.^[12] Suárez signed a one-year extension of his contract on November 27 and was followed by the exercising of a contract option for Alba through the 2025 season.^[13][14]

The preseason for Inter Miami CF began on January 10 with players reporting to a training camp that expended to full sessions three days later.^[15] The team played their first friendly match ten days later against Club América of Liga MX at Allegiant Stadium in the Las Vegas area. The teams drew 2–2 in regulation time and Inter Miami CF won 3–2 in the penalty shootout, which culminated in a winning kick by 17-year-old homegrown player Santiago Morales.^[16] Inter Miami CF then played in three overseas friendlies organized by marketing agency Never Say Never (co-founded by Andrés Iniesta) before returning to the United States in February.^[15][17] Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC played a preseason friendly match on February 14 at Raymond James Stadium; it was the first match at the stadium with MLS teams since the Tampa Bay Mutiny folded in 2001.^[18]

Miami began their season with the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The first leg was hosted by Sporting Kansas City and originally scheduled for February 18, but was moved a day later due to a winter storm warning. The match kicked off on February 19 with a temperature of 5 °F (−15 °C); by the end of the match, the temperature was below 0 °F (−18 °C).^[19][20] Lionel Messi scored the lone goal of the match in the 56th minute as both teams had difficulty playing in the cold conditions.^[21] The match's referee, Marco Ortíz of Mexico, was later suspended by CONCACAF for requesting an autograph from Messi for a family member.^[22]

The team returned to Florida three days later to open the MLS regular season against New York City FC; the scheduled kickoff time was delayed by five hours to accommodate the earlier change in the CONCACAF Champions Cup fixture.^[23] Messi had two assists in the match, which finished in a 2–2 draw after a late tying goal for Miami in the tenth minute of stoppage time by Telasco Segovia. Miami had played for most of the match with 10 players after defender Tomás Avilés was sent off for a tackle in the 23rd minute.^[24] Miami advanced to the round of 16 in the Champions Cup with a 3–1 win at home against Sporting Kansas City in the second leg of their series, which finished with a 4–1 aggregate score. All three goals for the home team were scored in the first half, including two in stoppage time.^[25] Lionel Messi did not travel for Miami's away league match against the Houston Dynamo, who allowed fans in attendance to claim a complimentary ticket for a future match. Miami won 4–1 with a goal and three assists from Luis Suárez.^[26]

The full preseason schedule with matches in Central and South America was announced on January 10, 2025.^[27]