FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi walked onto Inter Miami’s practice fields, surprisingly wearing a beanie hat on a 70-degree morning, for his second practice of the year under new coach Javier Mascherano on Monday.

Roughly an hour later, new U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino led a group of Major League Soccer players convened for the club’s first match of the year on a nearby field.

Both clubs have converged at Inter Miami’s complex to begin the new year with new coaches hoping to make their own impressions, while trying to fill lofty aspirations.

The USMNT continues its quest to prepare for the 2026 World Cup Saturday against Venezuela at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium at 3 p.m. ET, then against Costa Rica in Orlando on Jan. 22.

Messi and Inter Miami will begin their preseason tour and a busy 2025 against LIGA MX champions Club America at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET.

“My first impressions were this is going to be difficult. It’s like hard work. It’s very good. It’s challenging. And I feel like he’s creating an environment that tests you, that challenges you. And we’ve been enjoying it,” said Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender, who is training with the national team this week.  

“I feel like I’m growing as a goalkeeper and also as a player. I think that’s super important to put players in a position to excel, but also situations where they have to grow and develop.”

Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi, called up by the national team after playing at the Paris Olympics, expects Pochettino to get into more detail with his game plan and tactics this week.

The new USMNT coach is 3-1 so far: They won 2-0 against Panama on Oct. 12, but lost 2-0 to Mexico on Oct. 15, and beat Jamaica 5-2 on aggregate in two Concacaf Nations League games in November.

Along with their World Cup preparation, the USMNT will compete with Canada, Mexico and Panama at the Concacaf Nations League finals in March and in the Concacaf Gold Cup later this summer.

“I like the way he works, and what he’s been doing with the national team lately,” Cremaschi said. “I think it’s very good for this country, and this team the way he approaches the game.”

Mascherano, on the other hand, doesn’t have to spend much time getting to know his star players. He’s reunited with his former Barcelona teammates Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba with Inter Miami after replacing Tata Martino last month.

Mascherano does, however, need to carve out some time to find a place to live. The first-time MLS coach has been couped up in a hotel when he’s not at Inter Miami’s facility, trying to finetune an ever-changing roster that has seen players from last season’s Supporters’ Shield title run depart in the short offseason.

“I don’t have too much time to think. I want to work on the team and the squad. I spent a lot of hours with the club trying to fix problems we had in the last month,” Mascherano said.

“I think in the next two or three weeks, I’ll sit down, try to find a house. I’ve been living in the hotel and don’t have time looking for houses.”

Inter Miami – eliminated by Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs – will participate in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Club World Cup and the Leagues Cup tournament during the MLS season this year.

To prepare, the club is embarking on a five-match preseason with trips to three different countries to also promote the Inter Miami brand behind Messi’s presence.

Mascherano said he was pleased with how Messi and his players returned from the holidays for the start of their year.

Inter Miami will also play preseason games in Peru on Jan. 29, in Panana on Feb. 2, in Honduras on Feb. 8, and in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 14.

“Obviously we have several preseason games that will allow us to compete, but we will see how many minutes we can get according to how they feel,” Mascherano said.

While participating in the 2025 Australian Open, Japanese-American star Naomi Osaka was as far away as she could be from the fires devastating Los Angeles. However, Osaka does live in L.A, and as the fire raged nearer and nearer to her house, she needed help gathering some of her prized possessions. Osaka called someone near her home to grab her 1.5-year-old daughter’s birth certificate.

According to reports, the inferno was just three blocks away from her residence. Although Osaka’s daughter, Shai, was safe and sound, traveling on tour with her mother, Osaka believed it would be in her best interest to keep the child’s birth certificate in a safe place.

‘I think the biggest thing that I am grateful for is that everyone in my family is safe,’ said Osaka Monday during a post-match press conference. Osaka defeated French player Caroline Garcia in three sets on Monday, and offered full support to the Los Angeles area after her match, donning a Dodgers hat with a red heart stitched on it as well as a Lakers jersey to the press conference.

‘Sending all my love to L.A. We hear about fires, but I didn’t know how devastating it could be,’ Osaka said. ‘I hope everyone’s doing well.’

Tennis stars offer their support for Los Angeles

Yes. Most notably, American star Coco Gauff and Croatian player Donna Vekic have written inspirational words on courtside cameras after their matches.

When does Osaka play next?

Osaka is set for her second-round matchup Tuesday January 14, against the world’s No. 20 ranked player, Czechia’s Karolina Muchova.

Mike McCarthy’s time with the Dallas Cowboys is coming to an end.

The 61-year-old coach’s contract with the team expires on Tuesday. The two parties couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal, so each is expected to seek a new beginning after a five-year partnership.

McCarthy posted a 49-35 record during his five seasons with the Cowboys, including three consecutive 12-5 seasons over the middle three years of his term. Dallas made the playoffs in those three campaigns but went just 1-3 in those appearances.

The Cowboys posted a 7-10 record during McCarthy’s final season, marred by injuries to star players Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. The veteran coach will now look to lead his third NFL team as he seeks a second Super Bowl ring.

Meanwhile, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys will go back to the drawing board as they look for a new coach. Who might Dallas’ top candidates be? Here’s a breakdown of some of the top options available.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Cowboys coaching candidates: 8 Mike McCarthy replacements

Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator

If the Cowboys look for a familiar face to help replace McCarthy, they could look toward Moore. He spent eight years in Dallas as a player and a coach, including four seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. He routinely helped the team finish ranked among the best offenses in the NFL, including when Dallas led the NFL in both points and yards per game during the 2021 NFL season. That should allow Moore to quickly identify and implement a plan to get the most out of Dallas’ playmakers given his familiarity with guys like CeeDee Lamb.

Moore also performed well as a coordinator in 2024, his first season with the Eagles. Philadelphia finished the season ranked sixth in offensive EPA per play (0.1) and fourth in EPA per running play (0.09). Under his guidance, Saquon Barkley finished as a 2,000-yard rusher, so Jones could envision Moore getting a lot out of CeeDee Lamb, Rico Dowdle,and others in 2025 and beyond.

Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator

Kingsbury is another NFC East offensive coordinator the Cowboys could try to poach. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach led Jayden Daniels to an elite rookie season and helped Washington finish as the No. 4-ranked offense in EPA for 2024. That included a league-best ranking of 0.12 EPA on running plays.

The idea of pairing Kingsbury with Prescott in a vertical offense built around Lamb, KaVontae Turpin and Jake Ferguson should intrigue the Cowboys. While Kingsbury had only a middling record as the Cardinals’ head coach (28-37-1), he could be better prepared to run the show his second time around.

The only question with Kingsbury is whether he’d be willing to leave the Commanders just one year after leading them to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. He also may have more interest in coaching the Chicago Bears given the veteran coach’s relationship with Caleb Williams.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Brady could be the best option if the Cowboys want to take a Sean McVay-like swing at head coach. The 35-year-old took over Buffalo’s offense midway through the 2023 NFL season and turned it into one of the most efficient and explosive units in the NFL. The Bills finished the 2024 season ranked second league-wide in EPA per play (0.18) while Josh Allen recorded 41 total touchdowns in an MVP-caliber season.

Brady’s work with the Bills isn’t just a one-off. He also helped coordinate arguably the best offense in college football history – the 2019 Joe Burrow-powered LSU Tigers. Brady could help bring Prescott, 31, to the next level as he transitions into the latter half of his NFL career.

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

Johnson would also represent a McVay-like swing for the Cowboys. The 38-year-old has become one of the top regarded offensive minds in the NFL since taking over as Lions offensive coordinator. He has led Detroit to top-five offenses in yards and points per game in each of his first three seasons in that role while turning Jared Goff into a Pro Bowl-level talent.

Johnson would certainly get the most out of Prescott, Lamb and the other Cowboys weapons. However, he has been picky about considering potential openings in the last couple of offseasons, so it isn’t clear whether he would be interested in joining Dallas, where Jones is the one calling the shots.

Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

Here’s another up-and-coming offensive mind for the Cowboys to consider. Coen has built upon Baker Mayfield’s successful 2023 season with Dave Canales and helped guide the quarterback to a 4,500-yard, 41-touchdown season during which he completed 71.4% of his passes.

Coen comes from the Sean McVay coach tree – he spent four years with the Los Angeles Rams, from 2018-20 and 2022 – and is well-versed in McVay’s offense, which is full of pre-snap motions designed to tip the quarterback off to the defensive coverage and create mismatches. McVay’s offense has proven easy to implement across NFL teams, so that should make Coen a sought-after coaching candidate.

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

Could the Cowboys target a defensive-minded head coach to replace Mike McCarthy? Sure, and Flores is arguably the best option available on the market. In his two seasons with the Vikings, Flores has turned Minnesota’s defense from one of the league’s worst into a unit that ranked third in defensive EPA (-0.09) for the 2024 season.

The Cowboys’ defense took a big step back after Dan Quinn’s departure and with Micah Parsons out for the middle portion of the season. Giving Flores, whose unique defensive scheme – which relies on crowding the line of scrimmage and blitzing frequently – has proven effective with the Vikings, access to a player like Parsons could bring Dallas’ defense to the next level and turn them into a well-rounded threat once again.

Like Coen, Flores’ scheme transferred well between his previous teams, including the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. His 24-25 mark with the Dolphins, who sported arguably the NFL’s worst roster during his first season, is impressive to boot, so don’t sleep on the 43-year-old as a potential replacement for McCarthy.

Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach

Here’s another coach with a defensive background the Cowboys could consider. Carroll wants to return to coaching, and he has a wealth of experience that could prove valuable in moving on from McCarthy, a well-liked coach.

Carroll has a 170-120-1 record as a head coach and led the Seahawks to a blowout 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48. He has a reputation for being a culture-builder and crafting quality defenses, and his connection to Quinn could earn him a look from Jones and the Dallas brain trust.

Carroll will turn 74 on the eve of the NFL season, so he wouldn’t be a spring chicken or a long-term option for the Cowboys. However, as a stopgap, he would keep the team competitive and may find a way to bring them on a deep playoff run, as he often did with Russell Wilson in Seattle.

Jason Witten, former Dallas Cowboys tight end

There has been speculation that the Cowboys could target Colorado coach Deion Sanders if they go after a candidate with no previous NFL coaching experience. That said, Witten may be the player who is more likely to get a call from Jerry Jones eventually.

Need proof? Jones was asked whether Witten would have a future as an NFL coach during his weekly appearances on 105.3 The Fan on Nov. 15, 2024.

‘Yes. Without hesitation. Yes,’ Jones said. ‘[Witten] has something that you can’t draw up. He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who is head coach up there in Detroit right now [Dan Campbell].

‘Jason is very sophisticated when it comes to understanding football and all the nuances. But more important than anything, he really does understand the physical and the mentality of being physical and that part of it. Without a question, he could become [an NFL coach]. He has extraordinary work ethic. … He can be a top coach.’

Witten may have potential, but he has just four years of experience as a head coach at the high school level. That wouldn’t make him the most advisable hire, but if the 82-year-old wants to give Witten a shot, he could.

Will Bill Belichick be Cowboys coaching candidate?

‘Belichick and his camp never received any indication during backchannel conversations that the job would open up, which is partly why he ended up at UNC,’ Schultz wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). ‘Belichick has an excellent relationship with the Jones family.’

Schultz stopped short of saying that would eliminate Belichick as a candidate for the job. However, Belichick and Michael Lombardi have been adamant the former Patriots coach would stay at North Carolina after accepting the job in December.

The apple has not fallen far from the tree for at least a few of Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay’s disciples.

One of the former disciples that has most enjoyed the same coaching success McVay has had in Los Angeles is the current leader of his upcoming NFL wild card game opponent: Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.

O’Connell is one of two of McVay’s six former coordinators or assistants who hold a winning record since leaving Los Angeles to claim a head coaching job of their own. The Vikings head coach’s ability to develop quarterback talent, especially in helping veterans who may have struggled in the past, has become renowned in the NFL in recent years.

O’Connell’s latest success story has been Sam Darnold, the former No. 3 overall pick who helped lead Minnesota, his fourth team in five years, to a 14-win season and playoff berth.

On Monday night, O’Connell, Darnold and the Vikings come up against McVay’s Rams in a battle to determine who will play the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round next week.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Sean McVay coaching tree

The following six coaches were all former McVay disciples who went on to hold an NFL head coaching job after their time in Los Angeles. Here’s who they are, ranked by winning percentage as head coaches:

Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers | 2019-present: 67-33 record (67%)

LaFleur just barely edges out O’Connell by regular season win percentage. His three consecutive 13-win seasons with quarterback Aaron Rodgers help him there, but he has been able to continue to find success in the post-Rodgers era with current Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love. LaFleur is 3-5 in the playoffs.

Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings | 2022-present: 34-17 record (66.7%)

O’Connell’s winning percentage as a head coach is mere decimal points behind LaFleur’s. His success has largely been a result of how he’s been able to build his team’s offenses around a quarterback’s skill set to allow the player, as well as the offense as a whole, to thrive. O’Connell is 0-1 in the playoffs.

Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers | 2021-2023: 24-24 record (50%)

Staley is one of just two former Rams defensive coordinators to find a gig as a head coach, and he didn’t have to look far to find it. He made it through two-and-a-half seasons before the Chargers fired him three weeks before the end of last season. Staley had a 0-1 record in the playoffs.

Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons | 2024-present*: 8-9 (47.1%)

Morris is the other former Rams defensive coordinator to have earned a head coach job after his time in Los Angeles. He returned to Atlanta this year after serving as the Falcons’ interim head coach for 11 games in 2020. His team went 8-9 and was in contention for the NFC South title as late as Week 18. Morris has never coached a team to the playoffs.

*Morris served as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-2011) and as interim head coach of the Falcons (2020) before his tenure under McVay. This record only reflects his success since his three-year stint in Los Angeles (2021-2023).

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals | 2019-present: 46-52-1 record (47%)

Only one of the McVay coaching tree’s members has been to the Super Bowl, and, naturally, he lost to McVay’s Rams once he got there. Taylor’s Bengals have had one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL since 2019 with quarterback Joe Burrow throwing to wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to great success each year. Taylor has a 5-2 playoff record with the only two losses coming in the aforementioned Super Bowl and in the AFC championship game (to the Kansas City Chiefs) the following year.

Thomas Brown, Chicago Bears* | 2024-2024: 1-4 record (20%)

Brown is technically the least successful of McVay’s disciples, but he only has a sample size of five games. He was the Bears’ interim head coach for the final five games of the season and earned his first win as a head coach in Green Bay during Week 18.

*Brown only served as an interim head coach for five games for the Bears this year.

Sean McVay coaching tree record vs. Rams

Here’s how each of McVay’s disciples have fared when facing the Rams, listed in the order they got their head coach jobs:

Matt LaFleur (Packers): 4-0 regular season; 1-0 postseason
Zac Taylor (Bengals): 1-1 regular season; 0-1 postseason
Brandon Staley (Chargers): 1-0 regular season
Kevin O’Connell (Vikings): 0-2 regular season
Raheem Morris (Falcons): N/A
Thomas Brown (Bears): N/A
Overall: 6-3 regular season; 1-1 postseason