Beginning with the 2024 preseason, Inter Miami has used the winter break ahead of the MLS regular season to expand the club’s international footprint while generating significant commercial revenue. In 2024, the club played a preseason match in El Salvador. In 2025, Inter Miami expanded that concept, traveling to Peru, Panama, and Honduras.
The 2026 tour went a step further. Alongside a stop in Puerto Rico against Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle scheduled for February 13, the club made its first-ever visits to Colombia and Ecuador, while also returning to Lima, Peru, this time facing Alianza Lima. The result was not just a sporting exercise, but a clear exposure to football cultures that operate on a different emotional level than MLS, for a team of players that largely from South America.
Competitive Results, Unmistakable Atmosphere in South America
Inter Miami’s final match of the South American tour took place in Guayaquil against Ecuador’s most widely supported club, Barcelona SC. On the field, the result was respectable rather than spectacular. Lionel Messi found the net, as did new signing German Berterame, starting at striker after arriving from Liga MX.
Defensively, the match exposed more issues. Canadian international Dayne St. Clair endured a shaky outing in goal, and after a late Inter Miami red card, “Un Solo Ídolo” struck again. The match finished 2–2 in front of a crowd that treated the occasion as anything but a friendly.
Across three matches, Inter Miami were beaten 3–0 by Alianza Lima, Peru’s second-best side, in a match that highlighted defensive rust. They responded by defeating Colombia’s King of Cups, Atlético Nacional, 2–1 in Medellín, before drawing with Barcelona SC in Ecuador.
Those results would not look out of place in a Copa Libertadores away slate. Four points from three away matches would often be enough to advance from a group stage — a relevant comparison given rumors of Inter Miami’s participation in the 2027 Copa Libertadores.
A Memorable Atmosphere in Ecuador
There wasn’t an empty seat at Estadio Monumental as both teams took the field. Organizers leaned fully into spectacle: fireworks, smoke, coordinated flares, pink plumes for Inter Miami and yellow for Barcelona SC. Colombian streamer WestCol — the most watched live streamer in Latin America — broadcast from the sideline wearing an Inter Miami shirt, and even through a phone camera the atmosphere translated clearly.
Guayaquil delivered the strongest atmosphere of the tour, but Lima and Medellín were hardly secondary. Inter Miami’s first visit to Colombia saw fans swarm the team hotel upon arrival, and the match generated millions for the local economy. Scenes in Peru were similar, despite reports that ticket sales were slower than expected.
Inter Miami remain the only MLS club with genuine continent-wide recognition in Latin America. Whether that attention survives at all beyond Messi’s retirement remains an open question, but the scale of engagement in South America was undeniable.
New Faces, Familiar Questions for Inter Miami 2026
Javier Mascherano continues integrating new pieces ahead of the 2026 season. German Berterame is expected to feature heavily at striker as Luis Suárez’s role naturally declines with age. David Ayala arrives from Portland to reinforce midfield depth. Dayne St. Clair steps in as the starting goalkeeper. Brazilian center back Micael joins from Palmeiras, while Facundo Mura arrives from Racing Club to fill the right-back role.
In a 30-team league, Inter Miami still enter the season as MLS Cup favorites, to repeat as champion, and remain among the contenders for the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Challenges will come from Heung-min Son’s LAFC, rising MLS sides like San Diego FC and Vancouver Whitecaps, and established contenders such as Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati.
With Messi preparing for what is his final World Cup with Argentina —a chance to defend the World Cup title on U.S. soil — the formula remains familiar. Inter Miami’s attack produces moments and goals. The defense, however, continues to invite questions.
Two Months From Miami Freedom Park
Inter Miami’s long-awaited move to Miami Freedom Park is scheduled for early April, ending the club’s time at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The new venue will seat approximately 25,000 fans and offer a more modern stadium experience, though it remains smaller than MLS venues like Lumen Field in Seattle or BMO Field in Toronto. Regional rivals Atlanta United and FC Charlotte play at home in NFL-sized stadiums, though Inter Miami are rarely at a road disadvantage thanks to Messi’s global and national pull.
The unresolved question is atmosphere. Miami has already shown it can deliver a great football atmosphere — during Copa América matches and Club World Cup events — but those moments were exceptions driven by the importance and rarity of those matches, not weekly routines. What Inter Miami experienced in Lima, Medellín, and Guayaquil was constant noise, smoke, coordinated displays, and full-stadium participation. MLS excels at supporter sections in places like Portland, LAFC, and Columbus, but stadium-wide emotional buy-in remains rare. Miami games in particular have also been seen as an opportunity for social media influencers to showcase their love for the sport, rather than fanatical supporters to gather.
American sports culture does not naturally encourage screaming, crying, and leaving everything in the stands with the team itself. South America does — every week. Whether Inter Miami can bridge that gap at Freedom Park will define the club’s identity long after the tour ends.
The MLS season begins Saturday, February 21, with Inter Miami opening on the road against LAFC in Los Angeles.
Main Photo Credit: Smartframe Images
