Messi's planned visit to China for a pair of Inter Miami exhibition games has been canceled

Unfortunately, Lionel Messi will not be playing in China this month as previously expected. Inter Miami recently announced that their scheduled trip to China for two exhibition matches has been canceled. The original plan was for the matches to take place on November 5th and November 8th.

This would have marked Messi's eighth visit to China, where he has previously played. The two matches were anticipated to draw a combined attendance of over 100,000 fans. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the trip has been called off.

Inter Miami said "unforeseen circumstances" as the reason for the cancellation, while tour promoter NSN stated that they made the decision out of respect for Chinese officials following the recent passing of Li Keqiang, China's former second-ranking leader and top economic official for ten years. Although TyC Sports, an Argentine network, reported the cancellation on Monday, Inter Miami did not officially confirm the decision until Wednesday.

“The tour promoter, NSN, has informed Inter Miami CF of the cancellation of its China Tour due to unforeseen circumstances in China,” read Inter Miami's statement. “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 trip posed significant logistical hurdles, notably due to a mishandled ticket release in China and rumors of a potential match cancellation. This would have marked Inter Miami's inaugural international tour, potentially acting as a preparation platform ahead of Messi's participation in two World Cup qualifying games for Argentina later this month.

After winning his Ballon d'Or victory, Messi arrived back in the U.S. on Tuesday and joined Inter Miami for a training session in the morning. Unfortunately, the team did not qualify for the Major League Soccer playoffs, resulting in no officially scheduled games. However, the team is still training, hinting at the possibility of organizing an exhibition match in the upcoming weeks.

Inter Miami, who recently triumphed in the Leagues Cup, their first-ever trophy, shortly after Messi's high-profile signing, has not disclosed any plans for future international tours. Nevertheless, it is expected that Messi's immense worldwide popularity will likely lead to additional tours in the future. Messi's contract with Inter Miami extends until the 2024 and 2025 MLS seasons, earning him an annual salary of approximately $50 million to $60 million.

As of June this year, Messi had played in China, not long after surprising the soccer community with his decision to join Inter Miami. He showcased his skills by scoring within the first minute of a match between Argentina and Australia in Beijing on June 15.

Furthermore, Messi achieved Olympic gold in China during the Beijing Games in 2008, contributing to Argentina's victory. Both he and David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, enjoy massive popularity in Asia and have secured various endorsement deals in the region.