Inter Miami led by Lionel Messi announced this Thursday that it will hold a friendly in Hong Kong on February 4th as part of preparations for the next season of the North American League (MLS).
In one stage of the Asian tour, the squad led by coach Gerardo Martino will face a team of the best players from Hong Kong’s first division, in a stadium with a capacity for 40 thousand spectators.
“We are delighted to be visiting Hong Kong and Asia for the first time,” said Jorge Mas, owner-manager of Inter Miami, in a statement. “From the beginning we set out to make Inter Miami a global club. This is a wonderful opportunity to do just that.”
“Throughout my career I spent a lot of time in Asia. I am pleased to have the opportunity to bring Inter Miami to play our first game of our tour in this fantastic city,” said David Beckham, co-owner of the franchise.
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Off to Hong Kong! 🌏✈️
We’re heading on our first-ever international tour for our 2024 preseason! The team is set to take on Hong Kong on February 4, with additional destinations announced in the coming weeks!
Details: pic.twitter.com/vRxgrP3jzE
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) December 8, 2023
The MLS franchise had previously announced a two-match mini-tour of China in October, which was later canceled by its promoters due to “unforeseen circumstances in China”.
In addition to the duel in Hong Kong, Inter is considering holding other friendlies to maximize the presence in football of Messi’s United States, champion of the last World Cup with Argentina and winner of eight Ballon d’Or.
The duel already scheduled will be against the El Salvador team, on January 19th, in the capital of the Central American country.
Messi’s overwhelming arrival put Inter, who were then the worst team of the season in MLS, on the world football map, leading the team to win their first title in the Leagues Cup, a joint tournament with the Mexican league.
After this success, physical problems for the Argentine star and other key members of the team prevented them from fighting to qualify for the MLS playoffs, which will end with the final on Saturday.
Inter’s premature elimination provided an unusual competitive break in Messi’s career, as MLS typically begins its new season at the end of February at the earliest.
2023-12-08 02:44:00
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