No goalkeeper: The incredible dilemma facing Inter Miami ahead of friendly against América
Lionel Messi has returned to training with Inter Miami CF, but the club faces a significant pre-season crisis just days before their friendly against Club América in Las Vegas. The team is reportedly lacking a contracted goalkeeper eligible to play in the match, highlighting a series of challenges facing the club ahead of a busy 2025 campaign.
Inter Miami’s starting goalkeeper, Drake Callender, is away on international duty. However, backup goalkeepers Oscar Ustari and Cole Jensen have yet to officially renew their contracts, leaving the club with only youth academy players available for the crucial friendly against Club América.
The situation has prompted a frank admission from manager Javier Mascherano, who acknowledged the surreal circumstances during a press conference.
“We are waiting for the paperwork to be finalized for the two goalkeepers we have in the squad, not counting Drake… Obviously, you can’t play soccer without a goalkeeper, and we’re not going to put an academy kid out there, at least not while I’m here,” Mascherano said, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the club’s determination to resolve it before the match. This unprecedented situation has cast a shadow over Inter Miami’s preparations.
A challenging start to 2025: Player departures and transfer difficulties
Inter Miami’s 2025 pre-season has been far from ideal, marked by several player departures and a lack of significant new signings. Matías Rojas, Leo Campana, Cole Jensen, Sergii Kryvtsov, Lawson Sunderland, Felipe Valencia, Nicolás Freire, and Franco Negri have all left the club, leaving significant gaps in the squad and making it highly possible that youth players might need to be called upon for upcoming matches.
This lack of reinforcements places added pressure on the team’s remaining players, particularly as the start of the CONCACAF Champions League and MLS seasons rapidly approach.
Inter Miami’s financial constraints are also impacting their ability to sign new players. The recent transfer of Leonardo Campana freed up a designated player slot, allowing for a potentially high-earning player to be added.
The club is actively pursuing Neymar, whose reported salary of €100 million in Saudi Arabia would require a substantial reduction to comply with MLS salary cap regulations. Securing sponsorships from major brands like Apple is part of Inter Miami’s strategy to make such high-profile signings possible.
Despite the off-field challenges, Inter Miami’s pre-season continues. The América friendly kicks off on January 18th, followed by matches against Universitario de Deportes (Peru), Sporting San Miguelito (Panama), and Olimpia (Paraguay). The pre-season concludes with a Florida Clasico against Orlando City SC before the CONCACAF Champions League and MLS seasons commence.