Phil Neville returns to Miami as Messi looms
The Timbers are set to face Lionel Messi for the first time since the midfielder joined MLS.
MIAMI — There were parts of Phil Neville that wanted to save all the pleasantries for after the match.
Yes, Portland’s coach is back in Miami, the place that welcomed him into MLS back in 2021, then moved on from him just before signing Lionel Messi and rewriting the history of the league.
There are no hard feelings, Neville said. His good friend — David Beckham — is one of the owners. Neville knew why the change happened, holds it against no one and can go on and on about all the positives in his life that came from his eventual move to Portland in 2023.
“I was under no illusions that, if Messi came in, that I would be here,” Neville said Friday after training at the Florida International University campus. “And that’s totally fine. I understand football and one of my best friends in my life is the owner of the football club, so it’s not as if we kept secrets from each other during that period.”
So no, Sunday’s match against Inter Miami isn’t setting up as some big Neville revenge tour. He actually quite likes the people here and was distributing hugs to members of the Miami media who came out to training.
For Neville, the real motivation might be simpler. Not payback. Not closure. Just the chance to leave Miami with the clearest sign yet that Portland’s recent surge has substance.
After Portland (4-6-2, 14 points) beat Kansas City 6-0 at home on Saturday and tied Montreal 2-2 on the road Wednesday, Neville could use an exclamation mark on Sunday.
“I’m here to make this week a seven-point week,” Neville said. “I’m here to win a game of football with a club that I’ve fallen in love with.”
Of course, that’s easier said than done against the defending MLS Cup champions, who come into Sunday with the best offense in MLS, with 31 goals in 13 games, and Messi. The Argentine has won a pair of MVP awards in his two full seasons with Inter Miami (7-2-4, 25 points) and, while 38 years old, is already up to 11 goals in 2026 after scoring twice Wednesday in a 5-3 win over Cincinnati.
“You know what I love? I love it with him and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, when they score, they celebrate,” Neville said. “They’re not just here to pick up whatever money they’ve earned — they’re there to win a game.
“There was a game against Orlando, they’re down two-nil, and the greatest player in the world is arguing with maybe the goalkeeping coach from Orlando on the bench. For me, I think that inspires the whole league, because we’ve had players in this league that came here for a pension.”
Neville compared Messi — in a way — to Portland’s Diego Chara, who unexpectedly sprang into action on Wednesday in the ninth minute when Jose Caicedo left with an injury.
“I’m lucky I got a 40-year-old on the pitch that has that same desire — maybe not the same skill level as the No. 10 of Miami — but has the same desire and hunger to go out there and perform.”
Chara said he has a job to do, and in his 16th season in MLS, he’s very much looking forward to coming into work on Sunday.
“Every game is different,” he said. “But when you play this type of player, we’re talking about in the history of soccer, one of the biggest players, that makes me really happy. That’s a great opportunity for someone in my position to try and stop him. It’s not going to be easy.”
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor