Lionel Messi and Inter Miami appropriately kick off a demanding preseason schedule on Friday as they go abroad to play the El Salvador national team in a friendly, setting up an exhausting 2024 campaign.
Before playing their first competitive game of the upcoming season on February 21, Inter Miami will embark on a three-week preseason tour that will see them travel 23,000 miles and include stops in Dallas, Texas, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Caribbean.
Tata Martino, the team's head coach, has had a whole offseason to think through the best way to handle the burden of an aging roster that includes Messi, who is 36, Sergio Busquets, 35, Jordi Alba, 34, and new addition Luis Suarez, 36. It will be a topic of discussion throughout the season, particularly since Messi's injury prevented Inter Miami from making the playoffs the previous year, which sparked discussions about season-long congestion.
Highlights of Inter Miami vs. El Salvador: Lionel Messi plays half of his first preseason game
El Salvador vs Inter Miami LIVE Online. Inter Miami with all its artillery draws with El Salvado
What time is the next Inter Miami game?
The next preseason matchup between Inter Miami and FC Dallas takes place at Dallas' Cotton Bowl Stadium on Monday night.
An injury forced one of Inter Miami's young, talented players off the field.
Just before the seventieth minute of play, Facundo Farias had to be helped off a stretcher due to what appeared to be a knee injury. Instead of using eleven players, Inter Miami will end this game with ten on the field.
At the start of the second half, Farias replaced Messi in the game. His availability is now doubtful for the remainder of Inter Miami's preseason and, depending on how serious the injury is, maybe for the entire season.
To what extent will Messi play?
El Salvador and Dallas will host Inter Miami's preseason matches before the team travels to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Inter Miami will travel over 25,000 miles total. Thus, the amount of time that certain players can play will be restricted.
When Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said last week that some players will play less minutes in the team's first two preseason games—the second of which is scheduled for January 22 at Dallas' Cotton Bowl Stadium versus FC Dallas—he unintentionally stirred a stir.
Miami: Friday night in San Salvador, as Inter Miami CF opened its 2024 preseason against El Salvador's national team, the sights and noises told the tale.
The match and the fact that Lionel Messi—who is regarded by many as the greatest player in sports history—would play had generated extraordinary excitement for weeks.
Each Miami player was greeted by thousands of enthusiastic locals, many of whom were sporting Messi shirts, as they took the field at Cuscatlán Stadium, which was packed.
The match and the fact that Lionel Messi—who is regarded by many as the greatest player in sports history—would play had generated extraordinary excitement for weeks.
Each Miami player was greeted by thousands of enthusiastic locals, many of whom were sporting Messi shirts, as they took the field at Cuscatlán Stadium, which was packed.
Here is the rest of their pre-season schedule:
Jan. 22 (6 pm ET) Inter Miami vs. FC Dallas Cotton Bowl Stadium (Dallas, Texas)
Jan. 29 (1 pm ET) Inter Miami vs. Al Hilal SFC Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Feb. 1 (1 pm ET) Inter Miami vs. Al Nassr FC Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Feb. 4 (time TBA) Inter Miami vs. Hong Kong Team Hong Kong Stadium (Hong Kong)
Feb. 7 (time TBA) Inter Miami vs. Vissel Kobe Japan National Stadium (Tokyo, Japan)
Feb. 15 (time TBA) Inter Miami vs. Newell's Old Boys DRV PNK Stadium (Fort Lauderdale)
Messi led Argentina to victory during the 2022 World Cup, earning him the greatest honor as Inter Miami's captain to yet and his eighth Ballon d'Or last year in Paris.
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