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Inter Miami, a team that features Lionel Messi, is out of the MLS playoffs, which led the team to look for other opportunities.
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But the team will participate in two friendlies in China in November.
The first game will take place in Qindao, on November 5th, while the second will be in Chengdu, on the 8th of the same month.
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Both games will be held in stadiums with the capacity to accommodate 50,000 to 60,000 fans.
Preparing the Ground for 2024
Although there are still two rounds left until the end of the first phase of MLS, which ends on October 21st, Inter Miami is already planning for next season.
Chris Henderson, the club's sporting director, commented on the friendlies in China: “It will be a great opportunity to continue building on this 2023 season, in which we managed to win the first trophy in our history.
We will look at this as an opportunity to begin our preparation for 2024, as we seek success to continue moving forward.”
Although the official statement does not mention Messi's presence in the friendlies, it is unlikely that the Chinese authorities would have approved the agreement without guaranteeing the participation of the world champion and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
But Messi, who faced muscle pain for much of September, is currently representing the Argentine national team in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
Messi and His Friendlies in China
If Messi is physically fit to play in China, this will be his eighth trip to the Asian country to play friendlies.
The last time was in June this year, shortly after his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami.
On that occasion, he scored a goal in the first minute of the game and contributed to Argentina's 2-0 victory over Australia.
Ticket prices for Messi's possible return to China have not yet been released, but previous prices for Argentine national team games ranged from US$ 80 for the cheapest seats to around US$ 670 for the most expensive.
If Inter Miami follows a similar strategy, the two matches in China could generate significant ticket revenue, possibly surpassing the US$20 million (R$100.9 million) mark.
End of Season and Expectations for play in Arabia
According to information from the Sky Sports channel, renowned striker Lionel Messi may be preparing for a temporary transfer to Saudi Arabian football.
The proposed loan period would cover half the season, allowing the player a break from his schedule with Inter Miami.
Major League Soccer (MLS) regulations allow players to be loaned for a brief period.
This mainly occurs when their teams fail to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition.
But in this scenario, Saudi Arabia's public investment fund (PIF) expressed interest in having Messi as part of its squad by February.
Then it would return when the new football season in the United States begins.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, other clubs have shown interest in a possible loan for Messi.
But Barcelona and Newell's Old Boys expressed their desire to have the striker's services for just over four months.
The Catalan club even tried financial maneuvers in conjunction with LaLiga to sign and register the number 10.
However, he failed to reach the necessary values before Inter Miami, under the management of David Beckham, signed him.
