Messi's Miami, China Tour in November…two friendly matches scheduled
Miami said on the club's official social media on the 15th (local time), "I'm going on a tour in China in November to expand the club's market and prepare for the 2024 season. "We will play against two teams in the Chinese Super League," he said.
Maimami will play his first match against Qingdao Hai New FC in Qingdao, China, and then move to Chengdu to face Chengdu Longcheng led by head coach Jeong Won.
Miami, which ended the 2023 season early, plans to expand its market by digesting its pre-season schedule in China.
Miami lost to Cincinnati on the 8th, failing to advance to the Final Series playoffs regardless of the remaining season schedule. Miami will end the regular season with an away game against Charlotte FC on the 22nd.
Miami had a sluggish season before Messi joined last summer, staying at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
However, starting with Messi, players who played for Barcelona in the past, such as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, joined one by one, winning the League Cup and reaching the final of the US Open Cup.
However, when Messi was unable to play due to a leg muscle injury, he rarely won the league, and eventually failed to advance to the finals series playoff.
Miami general manager Chris Henderson said, "The Chinese tour will be a great opportunity to further develop the club," adding, "We will use the Chinese tour as an opportunity to start preparations in 2024."