Lionel Messi won’t be heading to the Far East! Inter Miami confirm cancellation of China tour in MLS offseason due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’

• Miami had China Tour scheduled
• Club confirm matches now cancelled
• Reportedly due to commercial issues

WHAT HAPPENED? The Herons were scheduled to play Chinese Super League outfits Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng on November 5 and 8, respectively, before the tour was placed in doubt earlier this week over reported issues with its promoters. Amid rising uncertainty over Miami’s offseason plans, the MLS club confirmed on Wednesday that their trip to the Far East had been called off due to “unforeseen circumstances in China”.

WHAT THEY SAID?: 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.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: 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.

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Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty ImagesGetty

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.