St. Clair: Inter Miami move, Messi can boost World Cup hopes
Canada goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair cited Inter Miami’s global ambitions as well as the chance to play and train alongside a star-studded roster led by Lionel Messi as the key motivations to join the club ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
St. Clair, who formed part of Minnesota United for seven seasons after being drafted by the team in 2019, chose to sign with Inter Miami as a free agent despite being offered a contract extension by the Loons.
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“I was a free agent. I was listening. I was willing and listening to any and all options to kind of hear what people had said,” St. Clair told ESPN. “It was the first time in my career where I kind of had a say in it because I got drafted to Minnesota and then signed an extension during the year.
“And when Miami became available, I listened to kind of the project and obviously knew the ambition from the outside, but hearing the plans that they had had and how they saw me fitting into the group, was something that I felt like was the right moment for me at this point in time in my career.
“The ambition to win trophies. And I kind of knew that going into it, obviously hearing it directly and then the thing was trying to improve the defensive unit and they felt like I was a big part of that.”
He later revealed he held a conversation with Canada men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch ahead of the move, wondering if joining Inter Miami could help propel him to clinch the role as the starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup.
“[Marsch] was like, ‘you tell me what you’re thinking, make the best decision for you and we’ll support you either way,'” St. Clair said. “And then he said, yeah, of course going to Miami in terms of being in a more global market, of course a lot more pressure in games, playing in Concacaf Champions League, having more competitions and more games before the World Cup is obviously an addition as well.
“Playing for a global team and having that pressure week in, week out is something that can prepare me for those moments.”
The 28-year-old joins a team fresh from clinching MLS Cup for the first time in December and with a roster led by two winners of the last World Cup in Qatar — Argentine pair Messi and Rodrigo De Paul.
“Especially leading up to the World Cup, you want to surround yourself with the best players and have the best opportunities not only in the games, but in training as well,” St. Clair said. “And having two players that are going into the World Cup looking to defend their trophy, I think learning from them and seeing their standards and the things that they do is something that I could potentially apply to my game and to bring to my national team to kind of help us as well.”
St. Clair signed with Inter Miami through the end of the 2026 season, with an option for the 2027 spring campaign, after recording 37 clean sheets in 174 MLS appearances for Minnesota United. His previous efforts earned him the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award and two All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2025.
He stands as just one of several new signings for Inter Miami, joining Facundo Mura, Micael and Sergio Regulión. Sources told ESPN, however, that more changes to the roster should be expected during the winter transfer window.