Messi may have taken such a long pause in his professional career for the first time in his life. What will Leo do in the coming four months?
Lionel Messi has played a lot of soccer since beginning his career at Barcelona nearly two decades ago. There are benefits and drawbacks to being one of the finest players in history, and the worst thing is that you’ve walked a lot of miles over the years.
Messi has played in 899 club matches alone since 2003, not including pre-season friendly. Adding his 201 Argentina matches, he averaged 55 matches a year, or more over one match every week.
So, as Messi contemplates an MLS offseason unlike any he’s ever known, he must ask himself, “Now what?” Inter Miami will have a lengthier layoff than any Messi has ever had because they will not be able to compete in the play-off round. There were suspicions that the Argentine star would return to Barcelona to maintain his condition, but this did not happen.
Continue reading the following articleMiami’s 2023 schedule isn’t full, but it won’t regroup with a win in sight until early January, and won’t play another major game until February, meaning Messi and his teammates will be without competitive fixtures for at least three and a half months.
So, what will Messi do with such a long offseason? GOAL will provide to you…
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It’s been a tiring year
Messi has evolved into a player who is willing to play for both club and country. However, at the age of 36, Messi has participated in an astounding number of senior matches in the last year.
He played 41 games in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami, where he played 14 games in his debut half-season. He guided Argentina to a historic World Cup victory, appearing in 14 matches in 2022 and six more in 2023.
To say the least, Messi’s journey has been arduous, since he has represented teams from three different countries on five different continents. And he hasn’t stopped yet, because Miami has a series of final matches before the season ends…
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Trip to China
Before everyone goes on vacation for the winter, Miami will travel to China for a two-game friendly tour, hoping to capitalize on ‘Messi-mania”s global appeal. The team will face two Chinese sides, Qingdao Hainiu on November 5 and Chengdu Rongcheng on November 8, as part of a whirlwind tour of Asia to bolster its brand.
“We’re excited to continue expanding the club’s global reach, bringing our team to play in front of amazing fans around the world,” said Xavier Asensi, chief commercial officer. According to an Inter Miami representative. “This is a special opportunity to share our passion as we reach new audiences and showcase ourselves in new venues, and we look forward to kicking off this adventure.”
However, for Messi, those games are not only about marketing his brand, but also about staying fit as he prepares for his upcoming international mission…
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Spend more time with family
For most football players, vacation is merely a brief respite from their hectic routine. With the exception of the Premier League, most of Europe’s top leagues give their players time off, and for Messi, it’s one of the few weeks of the year where he can unwind.
However, there is always the next match to look forward to. But you won’t have that difficulty this year.
“It will be the first time in a long time that I will spend so many days here in December, on a peaceful holiday with my family,” Messi remarked at the time. “And in January I will return, I will start a training season from scratch and prepare myself as best as possible, as always.”
That will undoubtedly be a pleasant mental and physical break for Messi. He’ll have more time to spend with his three children because he won’t have to worry about a campaign in Europe. For the first time in his life, he was able to simply relax and enjoy the break.
That doesn’t mean he won’t be ready for the start of the training season in January, but Messi is definitely looking forward to some much-needed downtime after 20 years on the pitch.
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The 8th Golden Ball is coming…
Messi’s itinerary may include one more excursion, but it will take place shortly before his travel to China. Prior to all of that, Messi may only need to be in Paris on Monday to accept another major prize.
Messi is now the top candidate for the Ballon d’Or prize, according to the current circumstances. If he wins the Golden Ball for the eighth time, he will have extended his lead over the second-place holder, Cristiano Ronaldo, by three times.
So Messi may need to spend some time in Europe before his off-season preparations begin, but he certainly wouldn’t mind being recognized for another spectacular year.
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Perhaps Messi will participate in pre-season training with Inter Miami
After the offseason, Messi will return to Inter Miami to lead a club that is expected to be the leading contender for the MLS Cup victory in 2024. And it appears like Messi’s presence has had a significant impact on Miami’s practice season plans.
According to speculations, Messi’s former team, Newell’s Old Boys, will play a friendly match in Miami during the training season. This match will be a tribute to the Argentine superstar, however there will be time for farewell bouts later.
Miami’s training season intentions are unknown, but there are plenty of teams hoping to face Messi and his teammates in January or February. The club will undoubtedly capitalize on this. Messi’s desire to build something unique.
It will be a lengthy wait, longer than anything Messi has ever endured. He was, however, given a well-deserved rest, as even the GOATs require a vacation from time to time.
