Javier Mascherano left Inter Miami for ‘personal reasons’ rather than due to a rift with Lionel Messi, a source has told the Daily Mail.
David Beckham’s MLS franchise is now searching for another new head coach after Mascherano resigned on Tuesday amid their stuttering start to the 2026 season. He only took the job in November 2024.
The former Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder’s shock departure comes just four months after he guided Miami to MLS Cup glory, with the team claiming in a statement that he chose to step aside for personal reasons.
Despite sharing a close friendship with Messi, speculation has emerged that Mascherano may have actually either been fired or even abruptly departed over a fallout with his star player and ex-Argentina teammate.
Messi holds significant locker room power given his status as one of the game’s all-time greats and is close to Guillermo Hoyos, the coach who has replaced Mascherano on an interim basis in Miami.
However, an insider has confirmed to the Daily Mail that Messi played no part in the head coach’s resignation.
Javier Mascherano left Inter Miami purely due to ‘personal reasons’, a source told the Daily Mail
Lionel Messi is not believed to have played any part in Mascherano’s exit from the club
‘When they come, it’s “because he is Messi’s friend,”‘ the source said. ‘When they leave, it’s “because he is not Messi’s friend.”‘
Beckham was at Miami’s training complex on Tuesday as Hoyos was confirmed as Mascherano’s short-term replacement.
The source also explained: ‘In recent weeks, [Mascherano] had been realizing that, after having won the title last December, his cycle at the club felt done – something he progressively felt over the last few weeks – and he communicated to the club that he wanted to take a different personal path and allow the club to continue with a different energy.’
The 41-year-old is said to have told Miami chiefs on Sunday, just a day after slumping to a second consecutive draw at their luxurious new stadium.
‘It came as a surprise to everyone at the club; nobody expected him to make that decision,’ the insider continued.
‘There may have been a sense that the big challenge for which Masche had arrived – winning the league – had been achieved, and his reasoning was understood.’
Miami are believed to have accepted Mascherano’s decision on ‘good terms’ and there is no sense of any other underlying issue between the two parties.
‘I want to let everyone know that, for personal reasons, I have decided to end my tenure as head coach,’ Mascherano said in his exit statement. ‘I will always carry with me the memory of our first star, and wherever I am, I will continue to wish the club all the best moving forward.’
Mascherano and Messi have enjoyed a close friendship over the years after playing together
It’s another blow on a personal level for Messi, who also lost two friends in the squad when both Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, ex-Barcelona players who followed him from Europe to Miami, retired at the end of the 2025 season.
Hoyos comes in and replaces Mascherano on an interim basis and Miami play next on Saturday on the road to Colorado Rapids.
But as much as Miami needs to win, the team also needs stability. Mascherano had only been there for 18 months after replacing Tata Martino, who also cited personal reasons when stepping down.
Martino’s tenure also lasted a little over a year. Whoever comes in next, Beckham and his co-owners need them to have some staying power.
