Note: The original article was written by TA American football journalist Paul Tenorio
By the time Inter Miami embarked on their Asian journey, their pre-season had already started to a less-than-ideal one. In the opening match of the preseason in El Salvador, one of the team's best young players, Facondo Farias, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Subsequently, Inter Miami lost 0-1 to FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl.
Three days later, they boarded a 15-and-a-half-hour flight from South Florida to Riyadh, but on the other side of the globe, Miami International barely got any chance to rest and adjust.
In Saudi Arabia, Inter Miami met two of their strongest opponents in 2024, but the much-anticipated "Mero Showdown" did not take place. In Hong Kong, the stadium was packed to capacity, but Messi was unable to play, and in the end it turned into a veritable international event with no aftermath. They went to markets that were relatively unfamiliar to MLS, such as Japan, but the team failed to impress in most markets, winning just one of their six tournaments, with two of the oldest, most famous and most important players suffering from injuries.
By the time the team returned to the United States, the poor start had raised concerns about the dominance of the MLS' "superteams".
Stop 1: Riyadh
Outside the Kingdom Arena, bunches of headlights and loud horns stretched along the road, and it was clear that there was a lot of interest in the preseason game, which was far from meeting expectations.
Inter Miami played 2 games in Saudi Arabia, the second of which was against Riyadh Victory, which was supposed to be the last duel between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But it didn't turn out that way. On his flight to Riyadh in Miami, Cristiano Ronaldo was confirmed to be absent due to injury. Messi also missed the last seven minutes of the game due to injury.
Riyadh Victory defeated Inter Miami 6-0, who suffered two consecutive defeats – after losing 3-4 to Riyadh Crescent.
The game doesn't feel like a preseason. For Saudi fans, it's a battle of honor. In the match against Riyadh Victory, the fans in the area behind the goal joked with each other not to shout for Messi (but when Messi played on the pitch, they still cheered for him).
The media said the result of this game was a sign of the extremely poor form of Miami International. There were too many turnovers and the defensive system was a mess.
The Saudi Pro League, like the MLS, is looking for chips to prove its strength. But the night before the victory match with Riyadh, Martino seemed to sense something. Inter Miami Coach Says:
'Which team is in better form, which team is stronger, the one with three concessionaires and three young concessionaires, or the one with eight high-level Under-30s and very good league form?
"You count Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, Lodi, Milinkovic, Neves, Malcolm and Mitrovic. There's no way MLS can have those players.
"I don't think there's any need to compare [the two leagues], there's no point. But it must be said that one league has a lot of money and is completely free, while the other league has less money and is not so free and has more rules...... If the league wants to continue to grow, it must change...... I don't know exactly when, but it's definitely going to be...... The process is gradual...... The MLS has done enough to compete internally, but to continue to grow, if you want to compete around the world, you need to put in more effort. ”
Martino pointed out that in 2025, MLS teams will have the opportunity to showcase themselves at the Club World Cup. And judging from the results of the two games on this trip to Riyadh, their strength is still far behind.
These two defeats did little good for Inter Miami's reputation.
Before the game, a report in the Miami Herald stated that Messi would not play. He felt unwell, had an MRI and will miss the game as a precautionary measure due to adductor problems. Messi then appeared on the pitch with the team and seemed ready to play. Inter Miami posted a picture of the squad without Messi's name on social media, and then deleted it, and then posted a new picture of the squad with Messi as a substitute. In the 83rd minute, he came on as a substitute.
Despite this, Messi's injury is a wake-up call for Inter Miami's new season.
Just across the street from the stadium after the game, the Ferris wheel lights up purple, a Las Vegas-like sphere spins in different images, and roller coasters rumble through the Boulevard City Market every few minutes as part of Riyadh's cultural and sports carnival. The reporter jumped into the back seat of a shared car, and the driver, named Saad, turned around and looked at the American sitting in the back seat. He doesn't speak English and I don't speak Arabic. I used just one word to make him understand what I meant.
"Messi. I pointed to the pitch behind me.
He looked back at me, smiled and nodded. As we drove down the road, he put his knee on the steering wheel, pulled out his phone and started typing in the translation software and then showed me the text.
"Tonight's game showed that Ronaldo was right to come to Saudi Arabia and Messi was wrong to go to the United States. The world will come to Saudi Arabia. ”
He looked in the rearview mirror, I smiled, he smiled and nodded, and then started typing again. Our conversation continued for 31 minutes, as he kept typing while I nervously watched the road ahead as I translated the text on my phone into Arabic.
In Argentina and Qatar, in London, Chicago and Germany, I have used football to communicate with taxi drivers. This conversation was different because the conversation turned to the American League, which is still working to reach out to the world.
That's the opportunity Messi brings. In Hong Kong, China, Messi's appearance caused a stir in a completely different way.
Round 2: Hong Kong, China
Inter Miami's first two days in Hong Kong were the most celebrated days on the pre-season tour and the most pre-season like the two. Hong Kong is very important and celebrities are gathered, and the arrival of Miami International at the airport was greeted by media reporters and flowers, and the fans also welcomed the team in the hotel.
Speaking at a press conference a few hours after getting off the plane, Martino said: "We have to watch the physical condition of each player, but we want Leo to play as much as possible. The Inter Miami coach sat in front of 150 media reporters with Suarez.
The answer seemed to dispel concerns about Messi's availability.
A day later, the team arrived at the Hong Kong Stadium for an open training session. The day felt like a game day, with streets a few blocks from the stadium closed to traffic. Fans dressed in Miami International jerseys, Argentina jerseys, and Barcelona jerseys poured into the stadium in an endless stream.
Inside the stadium, David Beckham, a shareholder of Inter Miami, made his first appearance during the tour and drew huge cheers when he appeared alongside the team's big owners, the Maas brothers. When Messi jogged into the field and simply touched the ball for training, the crowd screamed. Messi jogged with the team and attended the training session early, but did not participate in the rest of the training, before a group of children came to the pitch to train with the players.
The next day, before the friendly match between Miami International and Hong Kong Stars, the atmosphere of celebration was still very good. There was also a pre-match ceremony to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, and when David Beckham signed his jersey, the crowd cheered him on again.
As tee time approached, people began to feel that something was wrong. After the match list was announced, none of the big stars such as Messi, Alba, Busquets and Suarez started. Messi was on the bench. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba initially came in with the bench, while Messi and Suarez came in close to kick-off. Messi wore a pink hoodie, black sweatpants and white sneakers, which indicated that he would not play.
The pace of the game was quite gentle, and the atmosphere in the stadium was very depressing. The two teams went into the break with a 1-1 scoreline, and after the break, Messi came out wearing the same equipment, which made it even clearer that he would not play.
Even with Inter Miami leading 4-1, attention was focused on the star on the bench while the substitutes warmed up. The crowd began chanting Messi's name, and the last 10 minutes of boos did not push. The shouts of "return water" echoed through the stadium, and when the final whistle blew, the invective reached its climax.
Minutes after the game, Beckham picked up the microphone to try to salvage the situation, and the fans booed him with flowers. David Beckham waved around the pitch and hugged a fan who rushed onto the pitch and signed his name.
When the team attended an embarrassing trophy ceremony, the spectators in the stands were still angry at Nan Campus. Eventually, the team left the stadium and the atmosphere in the stadium never improved.
Throughout the pre-season schedule, no city is more looking forward to a visit to Miami than Hong Kong. In subway stations, there are advertisements for games and Miami stars. As I walked to the famous Victoria Harbour, I saw a huge billboard for Miami players. At the entrances of many Adi stores, there are huge Miami international display shelves. On the way to the airport, a taxi drove past me with a pink advertisement for the race.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Martino said: "We understand the disappointment of the fans today at the absence of Leo and Suarez. The decision was made in conjunction with the team doctors, who are at risk of aggravating their injuries and that is why they cannot play. We're sorry, but I hope you understand that if we had the opportunity to get them on the pitch for a while, we would have done so. But we took a big risk and that's why we made this decision together with the players. ”
Using a star like Messi as a signboard is a double-edged sword. It's a pre-season game and the team has to think about the more important games ahead. In fact, Messi is also human, he is 36 years old and cannot play every game.
Still, Hong Kong fans feel fooled. Martino stressed that Messi was evaluated that morning and decided not to play. But the decision was not communicated to the fans at the scene, at least not until the end of the game.
That night, the SAR government issued a statement expressing extreme disappointment at Messi's failure to play, saying that "the organizers owe fans an explanation" and stated that it would follow up according to the terms of the agreement, including the possible deduction of sponsorship.
Stop 3: Tokyo
Miami International has accumulated more than 13,000 miles in the air, flying from Miami to Riyadh, from Riyadh to Hong Kong, and to Tokyo. In less than a week, they played in the 3rd time zone, the internal clock was disrupted and the players were eager to go home. The upcoming match against Vissel Kobe can't be streamed on MLS Season Pass, which feels like the ending isn't perfect.
Messi made a rare appearance at a press conference in Japan, sitting alone on a high bench on the stage, saying that he was "sorry" that he could not play [in Hong Kong] and hoped to return to play there one day. He also admits that the fatigue of the journey has taken him through a lot of hardships and that the team is ready to go home.
During part of the day's session, which was open to the media, the Miami International players and staff mostly seemed to be in good spirits. Fans surrounded the field and the players interacted with some fans who had access to the fence. At the hotel where the team was staying, there was also a celebration and the crowd was reunited with former Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta.
On the night of the game, about 28,000 fans braved the cold to enjoy Messi's half-hour performance. Busquets, another big star of Inter Miami, left the pitch early with an ankle injury during the game, which was another blow to Inter Miami. Although Messi was sidelined with an adductor problem in Hong Kong three days ago, he was active in the game and changed the situation for Inter Miami on the field. He even burst into the box with a solo shot and had a great chance to score, but was denied by the goalkeeper.
After the game, both sides looked a little surprised when they learned that a penalty shoot-out was going to take place. Messi did not take a penalty, much to the disappointment of the crowd, and Vissel Kobe ended up winning 4-3 on penalties.
Inter Miami ended their trip to Asia with a record of 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss.
After the game, in the mixed mining area, a few feet away from where the team's bus was parked, surrounded by television cameras and microphones, Martino answered several questions about the game, as well as a question about Messi's absence from Hong Kong.
After Miami leaves the stadium, head straight to the airport to go home.
The Global Times published an article within hours of the game saying that Messi's appearance in Tokyo amplified doubts and doubts about the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself. Earlier in the day, Tatler XFest, the organiser of the Hong Kong leg of the race, announced that it would refund 50% of the ticket price to fans.
Later last week, two Argentina friendlies scheduled for China were also cancelled due to a controversy over Messi's absence.
This tour of Inter Miami is a huge business opportunity for both the team and the MLS, and it is an opportunity to use Messi to spread its brand awareness. In a sense, it succeeded, and although it made a mess in Hong Kong, it was still economically successful. However, the poor results of this tour are haunting, and in previous years, people simply didn't care about pre-season.
Next week, Inter Miami will begin official tournaments, and hopefully the pre-season tour will be forgotten by then.
But this can only be achieved by winning.