Guardiola rejects Inter Miami approach as England role remains his preferred return

Pep Guardiola has rebuffed Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham’s attempt to appoint him as the club’s new head coach, making clear he is not ready to return to management and has no plans to travel to the United States.

Beckham identified Guardiola as his first choice to replace Javier Mascherano, who left the MLS club last month. The Inter Miami hierarchy deliberately delayed naming a successor, holding out to see whether Guardiola could be persuaded to take the role. Beckham was aware that landing the Spaniard would represent a landmark moment for both the club and Major League Soccer as a whole — not least because it would have reunited Guardiola with Lionel Messi, whom he managed at Barcelona.

Guardiola, however, has made his position clear to those around him: Beckham is wasting his time. The 53-year-old stepped down as Manchester City manager at the end of the season after a decade at the Etihad Stadium, and is determined to take an extended break from the game to spend time with his family and recover from one of the most demanding stints in modern football management.

Beyond the sabbatical, Guardiola has indicated that his preferred next role would be in international management rather than club football. That preference has not gone unnoticed at the Football Association. FA officials had wanted Guardiola to succeed Gareth Southgate following his resignation in 2024, but a deal was considered unrealistic at the time given his City contract.

Guardiola has remained on the FA’s radar since, and is understood to be their leading candidate to eventually succeed Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel is contracted to lead England through to Euro 2028, though his position will come under scrutiny if England underperform at this summer’s World Cup. Guardiola, for his part, is said to find the England job genuinely appealing and would give it serious consideration if formally offered the position in the future.