Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will not be visiting the Far East this offseason, as the MLS team cancelled their China tour on Wednesday.
The Herons were supposed to face Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng in the Chinese Super League on November 5 and 8, respectively, until the tour was called off earlier this week due to alleged concerns with its promoters. Miami’s offseason preparations have been put off owing to “unforeseen circumstances in China,” according to the MLS team, who announced the cancellation on Wednesday.
A statement on the club’s website read: “The tour promoter, NSN, has informed Inter Miami CF of the cancellation of its China Tour due to unforeseen circumstances in China. Inter Miami’s ambition remains to expand its global reach by playing in front of incredible fans from across the globe; the Club will continue to explore future opportunities with NSN to achieve this goal.”
Argentine journalist Gaston Edul has expanded on the decision, reporting on Monday that both games would be cancelled due to “bureaucratic and commercial issues”. In any case, it means fans in China will not be treated to a view of Messi live in the flesh, less than a week after he was awarded an eighth Ballon d’Or. The Argentine made a huge impact after joining Miami upon the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain in June, scoring 11 goals in his first 14 appearances across all competitions, but was powerless to prevent the team from finishing second-bottom of the Eastern Conference on 34 points.
- Lionel Messi was informed that winning the Ballon d’Or in 2023 would be “a scandal,” and Erling Haaland received support from a Premier League foe following Man City’s treble-winning exploits.
- Rodri believes Lionel Messi will win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, ahead of Man City teammate Erling Haaland, who has ruled himself out due to a ‘lack of marketing.’
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Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images
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WHAT NEXT FOR MIAMI? With the postseason tour cancelled and having missed out on the playoffs, Messi and Co. will remain in the United States ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign.
