31 October 2023 , 08:00
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Lionel Messi has ended his season by winning the Ballon d'Or award and will now enjoy a hard-earned rest without knowing when he will return for Inter Miami.
The MLS season came to an end for Messi earlier this month as the team failed to make the playoffs. It means he has one of the longest breaks he has ever had in his career, once he completes Argentina's international schedule in November.
After the next international break, Messi will no doubt start thinking about how to get himself in the best shape possible for when Inter Miami return. But he's now facing a tricky situation - because it has become unclear exactly when that will be.
That's because Inter Miami's preseason tour of China has reportedly been postponed. Messi was originally scheduled to travel to Asia with the team, but those plans are now in disarray.
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Multiple sources have claimed that there have been issues with the promoter of their offseason tour, with the team now exploring alternate options. The tour was set to be a big boost for the team as they look to continue to build their huge commercial pull after signing Messi.
It also complicates Messi and Inter Miami's plans for returning to action. The uncertainty is certainly not how they would like to enter their offseason and begin planning for next season, when they will have big ambitions.
Miami's season came to a disappointing end when they were winless in their last five games and missed out on the MLS post-season. Messi had missed five games in a row towards the end of the year, with the team not being able to recover from their poor start to the season before acquiring the likes of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or on MondayHowever, Messi did secure his first silverware with the club after winning the Leagues Cup in its first iteration, with every club team from the United States and Mexico's top leagues competing. On Monday, he was named Ballon d'Or winner over Manchester City's Erling Haaland and former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe.
Messi penned a message to Inter Miami fans at the end of the season writing: "Proud of all the team accomplished this season. With the work and effort of everyone, we were able to win the @leaguescup clinching the first title in @opencup history, we made it to the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. MLS and were even fighting to get into the play-offs almost until the very last moment.
"We stayed with all the good things and above all the desire to improve to be even more competitive next year. I would like to thank all the people of the club and the city of Miami for the support they always give us.
"I'm sure we'll continue to have amazing moments together as we have in the past few months. A hug for everyone!"