Lionel Messi's Argentina lines up more U.S. friendlies
The Major League Soccer season is underway, but fans in the Miami area interested in seeing Lionel Messi play in person in 2024 may already be out of luck. Inter Miami has sold out all of its 2024 home games on the strength of the Argentine's global appeal.
The Argentina Football Federation has thrown them a lifeline. The federation announced this week that the Argentinian national team — featuring Atlanta United star Thiago Almada and Messi — had scheduled two new games in the United States in June.
Argentina will play Ecuador at Chicago's Soldier Field before taking on Guatemala at Washington D.C.'s FedEx Field.
Both games are intended as "warm-ups" for Argentina's Copa America run in June. The Copa — the South American championship and one of the world's longest-running soccer tournaments — will take place in the United States this summer. Argentina enters the event as defending champions following its victory over Brazil in 2021.
Argentina's new friendlies against Ecuador and Guatemala aren't its only U. S. fixtures this year. The team recently announced that its March matches against El Salvador and Nigeria — originally scheduled in China — would move to the United States.
The switch came after Messi's injury-driven absence from Inter Miami's preseason game in Hong Kong. Messi's inability to play — coupled with his return three days later in a game in Japan — offended fans in the city.
"Hong Kong fans have a lot of questions," said its Bureau of Culture, Tourism and Sport in an official statement to The Athletic. "Three days later, Messi was able to play actively and freely in Japan."
Senior government adviser Regina Ip took things further, saying, "Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter Miami and the black hand behind them for the deliberate and calculated snub to Hong Kong."
Messi apologized directly to Chinese fans, but the damage was too great. The Hangzhou Sports Bureau, organizers of Argentina's China visit, promptly cancelled the trip in solidarity with Hong Kong.
While China's loss is America's gain, many fans worry about Messi's intense schedule throughout 2024. The Argentine is schedule to play in MLS, the Leagues Cup, the Copa America and the scheduled friendlies — and he may yet agree to play for Argentina's Olympic team in Paris.
"I'll talk to Leo. I've said that already," Argentina's Olympic team coach Javier Mascherano said, via The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas. "Obviously he has an open invitation, but it will depend on his commitments. He has Copa America and a bunch of other important things in between. We'll talk."
In the meantime, Messi's stated focus is on Inter Miami and MLS. He returns to action Saturday against Orlando City.
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