Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami announces two-game tour of China

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will embark on a two-game postseason tour to China, the crew introduced Sunday.

Just over two weeks after their 2023 MLS marketing campaign ends, Inter Miami will journey to face Chinese Super League sides Qingdao Hainiu FC and Chengdu Rongchen on Nov. 5 and eight respectively.

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“We’re very excited to continue to expand our club’s global reach, bringing our team to play in front of incredible fans across the globe,” stated Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi.

“This is a special opportunity to share the passion as we reach new audiences and put ourselves on display in new places, and we’re looking forward to beginning this adventure.”

Miami — who was eradicated from playoff rivalry after a loss to FC Cincinnati of their most up-to-date sport — has two matchups in opposition to Charlotte FC remaining within the MLS common season, with a house sport this Wednesday adopted by a visit to North Carolina on Saturday.

Messi has performed in solely two of the crew’s final seven MLS video games resulting from a hamstring harm, however did handle 35 minutes off the bench within the loss to Cincinnati and performed 37 minutes for Argentina of their 1-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Paraguay on Friday.

If wholesome, the Argentine legend — who has scored 11 objectives in his first season with Miami — will definitely be the principle attraction for followers attending video games on this two-game tour of China, whose nationwide crew has solely appeared in a single World Cup in 2002.

The Chinese Super League has managed to draw a quantity of high-profile Brazilian signings over current years, together with Oscar, Hulk, Alex Teixeira and Paulinho — although many of these gamers have now moved on.

“This will be a great opportunity to continue building on our 2023 campaign, in which we achieved our first-ever trophy,” stated Sporting Director and Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson.

“We will take this as an opportunity to begin our preparations for 2024, as we look to build on last season and find more success moving forward.”

Miami, who received the Leagues Cup in August and certified for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup within the course of, will play the primary sport of the tour at Qingdao Hainiu’s brand-new 50,000-capacity stadium that opened in April of this 12 months.

Coached by Spaniard Antonio Carreño, the crew returned to the Super League in 2023 after incomes successive promotions and are in thirteenth place out of 16 groups with three video games remaining.

Inter Miami’s second opponent, Chengdu Rongcheng, is a five-year-old membership that earned promotion in three of its first 4 seasons, reaching the Chinese topflight in 2022, the place they completed fifth. They sit sixth within the desk.