Messi's new Inter Miami coach is his longtime confidant Guillermo Hoyos

Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald on Apr 15, 2026

Published in Soccer

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MIAMI — Inter Miami moved on to its fifth coach in six years this week after the unexpected resignation of Javier Mascherano.

New interim coach Guillermo Hoyos, the 62-year-old native of Cordoba, Argentina, said he feels “blessed and emotional” to be working on the field with Lionel Messi again 23 years after they met at the FC Barcelona youth academy.

Hoyos was coaching at the academy at the time and became one of Messi’s most trusted confidants, a relationship that continues to this day.

He assured that his bond with Messi will not impede his ability to coach the team, he said in his introductory media interview Wednesday.

“Friendship is non-negotiable; there is a friendship there, one that has spanned many years,” Hoyos said. “But that friendship does not mean that we will be right on top of him, constantly hovering over him, every single day.

“I believe that everything must be respected: his privacy, and everything else. One must be careful and work quietly, while striving to grow and evolve. All of this is new, and being alongside the greatest player in history is truly an incredible experience on the field. I am deeply grateful.”

Messi expressed his gratitude for Hoyos during a 2005 press conference.

“He helped me a lot from the moment he arrived at Barcelona, he was with me at all times. He gave me advice, taught me things and did everything possible so that I could be where I am today, in the first division,” Messi said.

Shortly after Messi arrived at Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Hoyos was hired as the club’s academy director of methodology. Last January, after the departure of sporting director Chris Henderson, Hoyos’ role expanded from director of player development to being in charge of scouting and roster construction of the first team.

On Tuesday, after the departure of Mascherano and his entire staff, Hoyos took command of the defending MLS Cup champions. The pressure is on heading into road games against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday and Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Miami is in third place in the Eastern Conference with three wins, three ties and a loss. That is not a bad record this early in the season by normal MLS standards, but Inter Miami boasts Messi and the league’s highest payroll.

Expectations were sky-high for 2026 coming off the league championship and with the anticipation of the April 4 opening of the long-awaited $350 million Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park.

After being forced to play the first five league games on the road while stadium construction was completed, team owners and fans hoped for victories in their first two games at Nu Stadium. Instead, Inter Miami settled for a pair of 2-2 ties.

Miami’s managing owner Jorge Mas stressed in the preseason that winning the Concacaf Champions Cup was a priority entering the season. Miami was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Nashville SC after two ties (Nashville advanced because the tiebreaker was road goals).

Mascherano stepped down for personal reasons, and Hoyos said he respected the decision.

“Those are personal decisions, and you cannot get involved,” he said. “Masche gave a lot. He is champion of MLS, gave us a title, I respect him and his entire coaching staff. We are grateful for his contribution.”

Hoyos was asked why he thinks a team that was breaking records in the playoffs, a team that added six new signings, including $15 million forward German Berterame and MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair, is tying games instead of winning.

“Winning, losing and tying is part of the game,” he said. “Sometimes losing a game may seem like the team is declining, but in reality the team is growing, we have great players, and these new players who came have to get accustomed to a new style of play and a new lifestyle, too. That takes time.”

Hoyos said he is “here for whatever the club needs” and there is no timetable for how long he will be the coach.

Hoyos has come a long way from a hardscrabble childhood. In a January 2022 interview with Argentine newspaper Clarin, Hoyos said his father, a railway worker, battled alcoholism and the family found itself homeless when Hoyos was eight years old.

They spent many nights sleeping in a public plaza, he ate meals at the local church, and he made pocket change shining shoes, opening taxi doors, selling newspapers and leaving religious cards in bars.

“Those were two hard years, between the ages of 8 and 10, but I don’t regret it because it taught me valuable lessons,” he told Clarin.

He went on to play professional soccer in Argentina with stops at Talleres and Boca Juniors, and had a stint at Real Madrid B before retiring in 1999.

Hoyos then became a coach, worked at Barcelona’s academy and went on to coach in Greece, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cyprus, Mexico and the Jacksonville Armada of the NASL.

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