Lionel Messi and Inter Miami had high hopes for their first season together. Despite winning the Leagues Cup, they could not grab a playoff spot for the MLS Cup. This was largely due to the Argentine himself being injured. This means that we won’t see Messi possibly play for the club again until next year.
Despite this, many fans were happy to hear that Inter Miami was about to start a tour to China in order to raise revenue. This meant another chance to see Messi play, but now even this chance has gone wrong.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s China tour faces chaos
The MLS regular season ended last week, with Inter Miami failing to secure a playoff spot. Seeing as they won’t play until next year’s January or February, the club decided to go on a tour to China both to raise revenue and global image.
Fans of the Asian country were overhyped, just like when he visited Argentina earlier this year. They were glad to get another chance to witness the great play again. The tour would have begun shortly after the Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 30, where Lionel Messi is expected to win an eighth Ballon d’or award.
The MLS side was scheduled to play against two teams from the Chinese Super League, Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng. The matches were scheduled four days apart on November 5 and 9. But despite all the hype, the second match with Chengdu Rongcheng was abruptly cancelled. According to SportBible the organizers did so with no specific reason.
Even the first match against Qingdao Hainiu has been altered, with the venue changed to Wuyuan River Stadium in Haikou from the initial Qingdao Youth Football Stadium venue. Tickets for the game are yet to go on sale, with many wondering whether this game will also be cancelled.
Messi’s first MLS season ends without a trip to the playoffs
Messi’s first MLS season ended in disappointment last Saturday, when his side was beat 1-0 by Charlotte FC. They failed to make it to a playoff spot and will not play in the MLS Cup.
A major reason was the fact that Lionel Messi was injured for the final stretch of the season. His injury led him to miss many games that could have decided their final fate. They had failed to win in the last six games, compared to the four wins in the league when he played. In the three games they have lost, only one had Messi in the squad.
Despite not making it to the playoffs, Messi and Miami still had a good season. The Argentine maestro scored 11 goals in just 14 games and led them to many victories. He won them their first ever trophy in the Leagues Cup, proving his greatness. Messi also missed the US Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo, which Miami lost too.
Lionel Messi will next feature for Inter Miami when they take on Chinese side Qingdao Hainiu on November 5, as long as it is not cancelled.
