Exposed in the semi-finals: Are Inter Miami’s Barcelona legends now more of a weakness than a strength?
It was supposed to be a dream — a footballing utopia in South Florida built around some of the most iconic names to ever play the game. But after a humbling exit in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, serious questions are now being asked of Inter Miami and their star-studded, ageing core.
The 5-1 aggregate loss to Vancouver Whitecaps didn’t just knock the Herons out of continental contention. It tore back the curtain on a growing concern: that Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and their veteran Barcelona alumni might be dazzling names on paper, but liabilities on the pitch when it comes to running, pressing and defending in the modern game.
Built on big names, but struggling with the basics
When David Beckham launched Inter Miami’s MLS project, he did so with an ambitious vision — to turn the club into a global brand, one that would attract not just fans, but legends of the game. It worked. Messi arrived with the fanfare of a rockstar, while Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba soon followed, reuniting the spine of one of the most successful Barcelona teams in history.
But while the brand soared, reality has been far less glamorous on the pitch. What was once a team full of potential has become, in the eyes of critics, a side lacking energy, mobility and balance.
“You look at that team and five players are attacking while five others are defending,” said former Premier League defender and Fox Sports pundit Warren Barton. “There’s no cohesion, and the big issue is they just can’t run. Vancouver showed us that.”
Barton didn’t mince his words — and frankly, he didn’t need to. The evidence was there for all to see. In both legs of the Champions Cup semi-final, the Whitecaps overwhelmed Miami with intensity, legs, and youthful energy. Inter Miami, meanwhile, looked sluggish, reactive, and vulnerable in transition.
The Messi and Suárez dilemma: Still brilliant, but…
Let’s be clear — Lionel Messi is still capable of magic. Even at 37, he can thread a pass that slices through a defence like butter. He sees the game a second quicker than anyone else and continues to make decisive contributions in MLS. Luis Suárez, too, still knows where the goal is and can deliver moments of old-school striking instinct.
But football is no longer a game that allows even legends to coast. Especially not in a league that’s getting faster and more physical every year.
In modern systems, every player — even the most gifted — is expected to contribute off the ball. And that’s where Inter Miami are hurting. When Messi and Suárez stay high up the pitch, pressing becomes disjointed. The midfield, often led by Busquets, is stretched. And the defence, already under pressure, gets exposed far too often.
“It’s not that these guys aren’t trying,” said one MLS analyst off the record. “It’s that they physically can’t do what they used to. And when you have two or three players like that on the field at the same time, it shifts pressure onto the rest of the team.”
Whitecaps exploit the gaps
Vancouver’s head coach Jasper Sorensen wasn’t looking to take cheap shots in the aftermath of their semi-final win — but his words still spoke volumes.
“I think it’s fair to say we have a younger team, and a team more capable of playing with high intensity,” Sorensen said. “We noticed the pitch was open, they left some players up front, so we said ‘keep running, run forward,’ and it worked.”
It worked brilliantly. Vancouver swarmed Miami with direct running, quick passing, and smart movement — especially in the second half of the second leg. They turned Inter’s ageing stars from danger men into passengers, capitalising on every space left behind them.
This wasn’t a one-off tactical masterclass. It was a sign of the direction football is heading — and a stark warning for teams built around older players.
Three defeats in a row and a critical crossroads
The defeat in Vancouver wasn’t just painful in isolation — it was part of a worrying trend. Inter Miami have now lost three games in a row across competitions, and the mood around the club is starting to shift from awe to anxiety.
Managing Messi’s minutes has been a storyline all season. He’s already been rested or subbed off early in several games, with Inter carefully monitoring his workload. But it’s becoming clear that even with reduced minutes, the team’s tactical shape suffers when he — and Suárez — aren’t offering the kind of off-ball work younger forwards typically provide.
And now, with the MLS season in full swing, pressure is mounting. The Herons return to league action this weekend against the New York Red Bulls. A response is badly needed.
Can Inter Miami evolve — or is this their ceiling?
For Beckham and Inter Miami’s front office, the next few months could be defining. Do they double down on their current formula and hope individual brilliance bails them out? Or do they look to rebalance the squad with younger legs who can cover the ground their icons no longer can?
To be fair, Inter have already made moves toward building for the future, signing promising players and investing in youth development. But with so much of the budget and spotlight focused on their veteran core, the balance still feels off.
The truth is this: Messi and Suárez will go down as two of the greatest players in history. But greatness in football doesn’t last forever. And unless Inter Miami can find a way to protect and complement their stars — rather than relying entirely on them — more heavy defeats like this could be on the horizon.
