Who would've thought that Gonzalo Higuaín, one of the deadliest strikers Europe ever saw, would end his career in such a... human way? Yeah, it's hard to accept, but the Argentine striker's stint at Inter Miami was an emotional rollercoaster with way more downs than ups, to be honest.
Higuaín arrived with all the hype. I mean, we’re talking about a guy who scored in a World Cup final (even if it was disallowed), played for Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus, Chelsea... MLS seemed like a playground for someone with his resume. And that’s exactly what Inter Miami fans expected. But instead of dazzling, we ended up seeing a Higuaín who, more times than we'd like to admit, left us scratching our heads in confusion.
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Right from his debut, there was a sign that things wouldn't be easy. He had a golden chance to score a penalty and... well, missed. So far, so good. Every great player has missed penalties, it’s not the end of the world. But what followed? A bizarre argument, almost like he was trying to make up for the mistake with pure anger. That image of "Pipita" arguing and stirring up trouble stuck with everyone. It wasn’t what the fans expected from a big-name player like him. It was like Higuaín was out of sync, misplaced.
Sure, we can’t ignore the shining moments. In October 2020, Higuaín finally netted his first goal for Inter Miami. A beautiful free kick, the kind that makes you leap off the couch. But the truth is, even with that spark of genius, he never managed to fit his game into the level everyone anticipated. Not that MLS is easy, but for someone of his caliber, the expectation was for him to dominate effortlessly. And that just never really happened in a consistent way.
Fast forward to 2022, and Higuaín gives us another big moment: a hat-trick in just 27 minutes against FC Cincinnati. Any regular player in these circumstances would've been hailed as the game’s hero. But what became clear was something else: these moments were rare. It was almost like watching a lightning strike: spectacular but fleeting. Even with the three goals, Inter Miami couldn’t pull off a win, ending in a 4-4 tie. And that was Higuaín's problem in MLS: as much as he still had the technique and vision, his impact on the team was never enough to change the course of the season.
You can’t overlook the weight that a change of continent, playing style, and even mentality can have on a player. MLS has its quirks. The pace of the game is different, the sports culture is different, and Higuaín, who was used to being the center of attention at Europe's biggest clubs, never seemed to find his place at Inter Miami. Maybe it was the Florida heat, the pressure of being the star player, or even the toll of age creeping up on him. But the fact is, he never became the Higuaín everyone expected.
And then we come to the final chapter. Higuaín announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season. His last match? A 3-0 loss to New York City FC in the MLS playoffs. No hero’s farewell, no banners or tributes worthy of a legend. It was a quiet exit, almost melancholic. After everything he achieved in world football, it was hard to believe that this was how he’d leave the field.
For the longest time, Higuaín was synonymous with efficiency, precision, and goals. But MLS showed us a more human side of Higuaín. Sure, he failed, got frustrated, and didn’t shine the way everyone hoped. But that doesn’t erase his football legacy. He still brought moments of pure class, even if they were sporadic, and reminded us that even the greatest players face their own struggles. Maybe he didn’t become Miami’s king, but who said he needed to? He played, messed up, nailed it, and in the end, he lived the full experience of being a player in a rising league.
For Inter Miami, the Higuaín era is already a thing of the past with the arrival of Messi, Suárez, and their buddies. And let’s be honest, Higuaín put the club on the map, at least for a while. In the end, maybe Higuaín’s greatest legacy isn’t the goals or the titles (or the lack thereof), but the lesson that even superstars have their own struggles.