Lionel Messi, Inter Miami may be headed to China, Japan for postseason friendlies

Inter Miami is in talks with overseas promoters to plan a trip to Asia in early November for a pair of postseason friendlies in China and Japan, but details have not been finalized, a team source confirmed.

The opponents and dates are still being decided. Chinese media personality Bin Yan reported that Lionel Messi will be in Paris for the Oct. 30 Ballon d’Or trophy ceremony and then travel to China to participate with Inter Miami in a friendly against Chinese team Chengdu at Phoenix Mountain Stadium.

Argentine reporter Gaston Edul, who covers the Argentina national team for TyC Sports, wrote that Inter Miami is planning to depart Nov. 2 for friendlies against China and Japan.

Messi has a massive following and many business partners in Asia, as does Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, so playing matches in that region of the world would expand the team and MLS brand in those markets.

When Beckham played for the Los Angeles Galaxy, the team did an Asian-Pacific Tour that included matches in Indonesia, Philippines and Australia; and another trip for matches in South Korea and China. Messi and the Argentine national team played a friendly against Australia in Beijing in June.

The MLS season ends next week for Inter Miami, which will be playing for nothing but pride in its two final games against Charlotte FC after failing to qualify for the playoffs.

With more than two full months before the start of 2024 training camp in early January, and Messi being such a global star, it was expected that Inter Miami would plan a foreign tour. According to Alu Alabdallh of Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Bilad Daily, a Chinese marketing firm has proposed hosting a friendly between Messi’s Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassir teams at some point.

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino confirmed that the club was planning a preseason home friendly against Argentine team Newell’s, the boyhood club of Messi and the club where Martino got his start. That game would likely be in February.

As for rumors that Messi might return to FC Barcelona on a short-term loan during the MLS offseason, Martino said: “Messi to Barcelona? Maybe for a vacation. Anything else would surprise me. If they tell me he is going to Barcelona for vacation, yes, that could happen. But anything else I have not heard.”

The timing would not make sense, as Messi, 36, plans to take off the month of December to recover from a jam-packed schedule this year between playing for Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and the Argentine national team.

Beckham, Messi documentaries

With no Inter Miami games to watch until Oct. 18, fans have been tuning in to two team-related documentary series. “Beckham”, a four-part documentary on Netflix, tells the inside story of the soccer icon’s childhood, rise to fame, family life, and storied career. “Messi Meets America” is a six-part Apple TV series that chronicles the Argentine star’s arrival at Inter Miami and his debut season thus far.