GOAL takes a look at what makes the rising midfielder one of the hottest commodities in MLS, and why his future is in Europe
Benjamin Cremaschi seemingly came out of nowhere. He was an unknown commodity, a teenager of Argentine-American heritage who grew up playing local soccer and rugby in Miami.
But his rise has been otherworldly. After earning his first senior start at the MLS level in 2023, he's now being touted as the next great American soccer player – and his potential? And that's barely scraped the surface of it.
Playing alongside Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami, representing his country at the Olympic Games, making his senior U.S. men's national team debut, and putting forth a mindblowing performance against FC Porto – one of Europe's biggest teams – at the FIFA Club World Cup, Cremaschi is making his way up the ladder for both club and country.
Now, after surrounding himself with some of the best minds in the American game at the moment, he's looking to climb higher and higher.
"Obviously being around these guys [Messi and Suarez], you learn a lot," Cremaschi told GOAL earlier this year at the January USMNT camp. "You learn how they take care of their body, how they work in training. I think every single player in the club at Inter Miami tries to absorb everything they do, everything they show, and I think it's important to have people like that, to have people who played at that level.
"Obviously, they're amazing people. They try to help out with everything they can do. I'm super happy to have them there, and obviously, I try to translate what they show and what they do into my game."
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The 20-year-old signed a new long-term contract extension with Miami towards the end of the 2024 campaign, but that hasn't turned away potential suitors, either. The midfielder has been linked with a transfer to some of Europe's top clubs, including 2025-26 Champions League teams in Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus, both of whom are reportedly monitoring him this summer.
Cremaschi is just playing his game, and by doing so, he's catching the eyes of the world. But who is he, and genuinely, where did this all kick off? GOAL scouts the midfielder who could be the next great American midfielder, while being the first to learn his trade from Messi himself.
Where it all began
"I've said it before, I think if I lived in Argentina, if I was born in Argentina, I think I would've played rugby, not soccer," Cremaschi told MLS and Apple TV commentator Taylor Twellman in 2024. "I did play rugby here when I was little, but it got to a point where I had to choose, and I thought I had more of a future in soccer, in this sport, and that's the route that I went."
Well, safe to say he made the right call.
Cremaschi, born in Miami to Argentine parents, grew up with Spanish as his first language. His family held strong connections to Argentina, even though they lived in South Florida. As a kid, he played for Key Biscayne Soccer Club and Weston FC, and even won the 2021 U16 MLS NEXT Cup with Weston. However, that's also the tournament where things changed for him – the competition where he realized there might be something real here with a potential career in the game.
In 2021, he signed with Inter Miami as an academy player, where he quickly shot up the ranks of the program. At the U17 level, he helped the reach the semifinals of the Generation Adidas Cup and also earned an MLS NEXT All-Star selection the same year. In that gane, he went on to score an equalizing goal for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, spearheading them to victory in the match.
In the same season, he also made his professional debut for Inter Miami II in MLS NEXT Pro and became a regular with the team, scoring five goals and recording an assist in 13 appearances.
Come December 2022, he became the fifth Homegrown signing in Inter Miami history, signing a first-team deal with the club, and from there? It's all become history.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe big break
Cremaschi made his senior debut for Miami in February 2023 and became a mainstay in the lineup after a few months of integrating himself into the XI. Then, in July 2023, it was announced that Messi was signing for the club – and that changed everything.
Immediately after joining the club, the Argentine spearheaded Miami to a Leagues Cup title, claiming the first piece of silverware in club history for the . That competition also served as Cremaschi's big breakout moment, and having it come alongside Messi? That's the stuff of dreams.
He featured in all seven games, starting six, including a run that saw him score the go-ahead strike against FC Dallas in the Round of 16 before bagging the game-winning penalty kick in an ensuing shootout later that evening. It was an electric moment; it was a match where he announced himself to all of MLS as the next star in the making.
“This is the best thing that could’ve happened to me,” said Cremaschi in August 2023 after their Leagues Cup triumph. “Having Tata [Martino] and those three players [Messi, Busquets, Jordi Alba], people with a lot of experience who have been at elite levels. To absorb everything from them is great, not just for me but for every young player at the club.”
Across all competitions, he played in 41 matches in his rookie season, scoring two goals. He even earned his first international call-up in September of that year, just days after lifting the Leagues Cup with the South Beach club. He went on to be nominated for U.S. Soccer's Young Player of the Year, as well.
Six months changed his life and the trajectory of his career, and now, he's rising further and further up the ranks.
Biggest strengths
It's a trait that often gets overlooked, but stamina, stamina, stamina.
Cremaschi is a legitimate workhorse on the pitch. Constantly running, making tackles, pushing harder and harder both on and off the ball, the 20-year-old is the ideal midfielder for any manager with a system focused on pressing and a quick transition-based game.
On the ball, he possesses tidy footwork and absolutely lovely right foot that has a drill of a shot, but where he really shines is off it.
He's grown immensely over the past two years and has demonstrated an understanding of finding space and position off the ball, while learning how and when to make runs, which has become crucial to his role under Javier Mascherano this season. He has shown a willingness to adapt and learn different spaces on the pitch, while creating chances and opportunities for those around him as well.
Getty Images SportRoom for improvement
Cremaschi still has yet to figure out what his best position is. Since signing for Miami, he's largely been used as an attacking midfielder, and it's widely expected that's where his career goes. However, his development with the has stagnated a bit this season because they are not playing with a traditional No. 10 most times, and Cremaschi has been used off the bench just in an attacking role more often than not as a result.
Against Porto at the CWC, though, something different was tried by Mascherano, and it worked – extremely well.
Cremaschi was deployed as a No. 8 in the midfield alongside Sergio Busquets and put on a masterclass performance in the center of the park. He was everywhere, all over the pitch, and locked down the midfield alongside the Spanish legend.
So now, the question begs: where does Cremaschi fit in the grand scheme of things with Miami? What about the USMNT?
The 20-year-old needs to figure out what his best position is, and once he does, he needs to push for regular starting minutes with it. For Inter Miami this season, he's started 10 matches, making 13 appearances in MLS action, with one goal and three assists. He's on track to better his 2024 account in the league, so that's a start, but he needs to define his position on the pitch so that his upward trajectory remains on course.
