Is Inter Miami Already the Favorite to Win the Concacaf Champions Cup? | OneFootball

Lionel Messi did it again. And this time, he didn’t even have to break a sweat. With a highlight-reel goal and his signature leadership, the number 10 led Inter Miami to a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, securing their spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. The 4-1 aggregate score was a loud and clear warning to the rest of the continent, this team isn’t just here to participate; they’re here to win. But can we already call Inter Miami the favorite for the title? Or was this just a case of beating up on a weak opponent?

When you’ve got Messi and Suárez on the field, you pretty much know how the story’s gonna go. The Uruguayan whips in a cross, the Argentine brings it down with pure class, and boom, rocket into the corner. We’ve seen this play out hundreds of times over the last decade, yet somehow, it still works like magic.

That’s exactly how the first goal happened. Suárez delivered a perfect cross, Messi controlled it like he was born to do this (well, he kinda was), and smashed it into the net with his left foot. Simple, beautiful, and unstoppable.

Sporting Kansas City tried to fight back, had a few moments of pressure, but when you don’t capitalize on your chances against a team that has Messi, you pay for it. And they paid before the first half was even over.

In stoppage time, Inter Miami’s new kid on the block, Allende, took advantage of a low pass from Jordi Alba and buried it. His first goal for the club. Barely a minute later, Suárez got his own, a classic number 9 strike, strength, positioning, and a killer finish. Three goals before halftime. At that point, Sporting wasn’t even trying to win anymore; they were just hoping to avoid total humiliation.

Now, let’s get to the big question, does Inter Miami have the squad to win this whole thing? On paper, yeah, absolutely. Messi, Suárez, and Busquets have won everything there is to win. Jordi Alba is still a top-tier left-back. But let’s be real, this team still has a lot to prove. The defense is shaky. The midfield, while talented, is still figuring things out. And most importantly, Inter Miami hasn’t faced any real heavyweights yet in this tournament.

Sporting Kansas City is a solid MLS team, but they’re nowhere near a Concacaf powerhouse. The real test will come later, against teams like Monterrey, Club América, or Pachuca, the ones that have been there, done that, and know exactly how to win this competition.

Next up for Inter Miami is Cavalier FC from Jamaica. No disrespect to Caribbean soccer, but if this matchup lasts longer than five competitive minutes, something’s gone seriously wrong. Messi and company should cruise through, and honestly, that might be a problem. A smooth ride early on can hide a team’s flaws. We won’t really know what this Miami squad is made of until they have to dig deep to win.

And what about Javier Mascherano? How does he fit into all this? Honestly, it’s too soon to tell if he’s a tactical mastermind or just a famous name on the sideline. So far, he’s doing the obvious, letting Messi be Messi, trusting the veterans, and tweaking things as needed. His biggest challenge will be managing fatigue. Messi and Suárez aren’t kids anymore, and the MLS season is a grind. If he doesn’t rotate the squad properly, this team could run out of gas when it matters most.

Inter Miami did what they were supposed to do. They won, they dominated, and they moved on without much trouble. But that doesn’t mean the road to the title will be a cakewalk. If they really want to be considered favorites, they need to tighten up defensively and prove they can go toe-to-toe with the tournament’s giants. Right now, they look impressive. But champions? Not yet.