After winning the 2025 Major League Soccer championship, Inter Miami are already looking ahead. Alongside roster updates, including the departure of key players and negotiations for new signings, Lionel Messi and his teammates are gradually becoming familiar with the schedule they will face during the first months of next year.
MLS action will not resume until late February, with the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup taking place a few weeks later. That means the Herons will have more than two months without official competition, giving them the chance to undertake an extensive preseason.
In addition to conditioning work, Inter Miami will play several friendly matches during this period to build match fitness and prepare as best as possible for the start of the season. The first confirmed matches for 2026 have now been announced.
Messi and his teammates will embark on a South American tour beginning on Saturday, January 31, in Colombia. On that day, they will face Atletico Nacional de Medellin at Estadio Atanasio Girardot in front of more than 40,000 spectators.
A general view of Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellin, Colombia.
Exactly one week later, Inter Miami will play another match, this time against Barcelona Sporting Club in Ecuador at Estadio Banco Pichincha in Guayaquil, which has a capacity of nearly 60,000 fans. The South American tour could also include a match in Peru, although that possibility has not yet been confirmed.
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The impact of Messi’s visit to South America
Following the confirmation of the matches that Inter Miami will play in South America early next year, some of the organizers involved in the friendlies discussed what Lionel Messi’s visit will mean.
“Facing Inter Miami and hosting in our home stadium players who have made history in world soccer is an opportunity to show, once again, that Atletico Nacional is a club of international caliber,” said Sebastian Arango, president of the Colombian club, according to TN.
“Perhaps it will be the last time fans see Messi playing in Ecuador as a World Cup champion,” said Daniel Molina, one of the organizers of the agreement between Inter Miami and Barcelona Sporting Club, according to One Football. He also explained that the choice of Estadio Banco Pichincha for the match was “to reach the largest number of people in the country, because fans will come from all over,” highlighting the significance of Messi’s visit.
Messi needs a strong preseason
Beyond organizing friendly matches, the core purpose of the preseason will be the physical conditioning of Inter Miami’s players. They will face a demanding year with three simultaneous competitions, but some will have another goal in mind: the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Only three months of MLS competition will precede the FIFA tournament, making it essential to avoid injuries that could jeopardize the participation of the top stars. Lionel Messi, in particular, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of proper preparation during these months to maintain peak physical condition and ultimately confirm his participation in the World Cup with Argentina.
