Inter Miami Starting Lineup vs Al-Nassr: Updated Starting 11 & Roster
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The Inter Miami starting lineup is usually headlined by Lionel Messi, arguably the best soccer player of all time, and after missing a stretch of games at the end of last season, he’s fit and back on the pitch as the team kicks off their tour of preseason friendlies. Since the World Champion has come to South Florida, everything has changed for the men in pink, as they secured their first-ever trophy last year with Messi at the helm, but there’s still plenty of unfinished business for this squad. The season is just getting started and the matches don’t count yet but it’s always exciting to get our first looks at the new squad, so let’s take a look at how Inter Miami could line up for their friendly match against Al-Nassr on Wednesday, January 31st, as Messi looks to square off against longtime nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo once more.
Inter Miami Starting 11 Vs. Al-Hilal
- GK- Drake Callender (USA)
- LB- Jordi Alba (Spain)
- CB- Noah Allen (USA)
- CB- Serhiy Kryvstov (Ukraine)
- CB- Tomas Aviles (Argentina)
- RB- DeAndre Yedlin (USA)
- MF- David Ruiz (Honduras)
- MF- Sergio Busquets (Spain)
- MF- Julian Gressel (United States)
- ST- Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
- ST- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Without Messi, Inter failed to lift their second trophy of the season, so this season their top focus will be to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs. After bringing some old Barcelona friends to help last year, Messi has dipped back into that same pool and pulled Luis Suárez into the fold to form a formidable, even if aging, strike partnership. As such, the formation looks different than it did last year. We’ll project the lineup we’ve been seeing from Miami so far on this tour, but it’s hard to know who exactly will start in a friendly. Don’t be surprised if manager Gerardo Martino decides to shake things up a bit after a couple of poor performances to start the preseason.
Inter Miami Position Groups
The Inter Miami roster, as with any soccer roster, features 4 separate position groups — Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, and Forwards. Below is a brief breakdown of each that aims to provide insight into how they stack up against other competition in the MLS.
Inter Miami Goalkeepers
American Goalkeeper Drake Callender impressed viewers with a strong performance in the Cup Final against Nashville, both from open play and in the long shootout. He was outstanding throughout Miami’s winning run, and has tightened his grip on the starting job ahead of backups Carlos Dos Santos and Cole Jensen
Inter Miami Defenders
Messi brought some friends with him when he signed with Miami, one of which was legendary Barcelona left back Jordi Alba, who has adjusted well to the MLS at age 34. The fullback opposite Alba is DeAndre Yedlin, the only player to represent the USMNT in both the 2014 and 2022 World Cups. In between the two are Team Canada starter Kamal Miller and Ukranian centre-back Serhiy Kryvstov. Injured Argentine Franco Negri played some great football last year, and Christopher McVey picked up some playing time in his absence. American youngster Noah Allen started in Alba’s spot as the Spanish legend sat out the US Open Cup final, and was a relative bright spot in the loss.
Inter Miami Midfielders
American teenager Benjamin Cremaschi has been strong in midfield for Inter, and is one of the team’s best playmakers. Dixon Arroyo finished last year near the top of all qualifying and healthy Miami players in terms of FotMob rating, as these two players flank another veteran of a much higher caliber. That would be Sergio Busquets, another Barça legend who came over to play with Messi once again. The legendary possession maestro was immediately transformative to Inter’s midfield, pulling the strings for Leo once more. Jean Mota has also chipped in nicely despite limited playing time, while David Ruiz has struggled at age 19 but shown some promise, and scored a huge opening goal in the match against Orlando.
Inter Miami Forwards
It should go essentially without saying that Messi has been the man as far as forwards go for Inter Miami, as he ripped in 11 goals in his first 9 games with the club. But of course, this team existed before he arrived, with contributors like Finland’s Robert Taylor has made 26 MLS appearances, Ecuadorean international Leonardo Campana, Messi’s fellow Argentine Facundo Farias, and American Robbie Robinson. Of course, the big new arrival is the legendary Luis Suárez, who linked up with Messi so well at Barcelona after a great stint at Liverpool- he’ll join his old teammate once more and try to score a few more wonder goals.
Inter Miami Full Roster
| Position | Name | Guaranteed Salary |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Drake Callender | $355,917 |
| GK | CJ Dos Santos | $72,660 |
| GK | Cole Jensen | $67,360 |
| DF | DeAndre Yedlin | $873,750 |
| DF | Christopher McVey | $244,296 |
| DF | Tomás Avilés | NA |
| DF | Ryan Sailor | $85,444 |
| DF | Jordi Alba | NA |
| DF | Ian Fray | $110,000 |
| DF | Sergii Kryvtsov | $614,500 |
| DF | Kamal Miller | $420,000 |
| DF | Noah Allen | $69,027 |
| DF | Franco Negri | $317,500 |
| MF | Dixon Arroyo | $297,708 |
| MF | Sergio Busquets | NA |
| MF | Jean Mota | $828,750 |
| MF | Diego Gomez | NA |
| MF | Facundo Farías | NA |
| MF | Victor Ulloa | $250,000 |
| MF | Nicolás Stefanelli | $441,667 |
| MF | Gregore | $826,000 |
| MF | Edison Azcona | $89,716 |
| MF | Benjamin Cremasci | $69,360 |
| MF | David Ruiz | NA |
| FW | Leonardo Campana | $601,680 |
| FW | Lionel Messi | $50,000,000+ |
| FW | Corentin Jean | $788,400 |
| FW | Robert Taylor | $302,900 |
| FW | Josef Martínez | $4,391,667 |
| FW | Robbie Robinson | $231,000 |
Inter Miami Starting 11 FAQ
- Who Is Inter Miami’s Starting Goalkeeper?
- Who Is Inter Miami’s Starting Striker?
- Who Is Inter Miami’s Best Player?
Who Is Inter Miami’s Starting Goalkeeper?
Young American keeper Drake Callender mans the net for Inter Miami. The 25 year old played his college soccer for the University of California, Berkeley, and came up through the San Jose Earthquakes youth system, but made his senior debut with Miami affiliate Fort Lauderdale in USL League One. After his Cup final heroics against Nashville, Callender was named both Man of the Match, and Goalkeeper of the Tournament
Who Is Inter Miami’s Starting Striker?
While Messi often plays up top, Luis Suárez plays more of a “true” striker’s role for Inter.
Who Is Inter Miami’s Best Player?
This question has a pretty straightforward answer- Miami’s best player, and perhaps the best player ever, is Lionel Messi. The Argentine legend has taken Miami from last place to contender seemingly overnight by scoring 11 goals in his first 9 matches with the club, only failing to score in one of those contests.
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