Sacha Kljestan puts Lionel Messi aside to applaud the real culprit behind Inter Miami's success

I nter Miami continued their great start to 2026 and this time sealed an important 2-1 win over D.C. United, where Leo Messi scored another great goal. Despite the importance of the No.10, there is another player in this team who has managed to give a great performance and that is Javier Mascherano , who received praise from a former United States player. Sacha Kljestan , a former United States national team star and league analyst, has spoken out about Mascherano. According to Kljestan, the presence of stars such as Messi, Busquets or the additions of Rodrigo De Paul and German Berterame , sometimes clouds the perception of the brilliant strategic work being done from the technical direction.

Sacha Kljestan praises Javier Mascherano

For the former US international, the task of leading a team full of stars is not an easy one and for this reason, he wanted to give the recognition that Javier Mascherano deserves, who was champion in 2025.

No, I don't think we're giving him enough credit, because he's shown that he can also sort things out tactically on the fly, which is what the best coaches in the world do

"Last week they were 2-0 down away to Orlando, with the crowd against them. He changed things at half-time, took off a defender, put on another attacker and had an absolutely dominant performance in the second half. He's doing a really good job," added the former international.

Mascherano's great management with Inter Miami

The debate over whether "anyone wins with Messi" is something Kljestan flatly rejects. The former player stresses that Inter Miami's current success lies in the balance between hierarchies and the integration of young talent.

"We've taken it a little bit for granted because he coaches Messi... but you still have to manage personalities, manage expectations, young players and experienced players, and put them in the right position," Kljestan explained.

With this victory, the Herons not only consolidated their leadership, but also began to project the image of a team that, in addition to individual magic, has a tactical brain capable of moving the pieces with the necessary precision.