Inter Miami announces punishing preseason schedule

"These fixtures will put us in the best possible position ahead of an unparalleled campaign with various competitions we're playing for this year," said Miami president of football operations Raúl Sanllehí, per Lizzy Becherano of ESPN.

Miami has plenty to prepare for this season: It will compete in MLS, the U. S. Open Cup, the Leagues Cup, the CONCACAF Champions Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. But this punishing preseason schedule might not be the best way to approach the grind.

Miami will travel more than 10,000 miles in six weeks to make this schedule happen. By contrast, the L.A. Galaxy — the MLS defending champion — will travel just 260 miles for its four preseason games in Coachella Valley.

Is all that travel worth the benefits of playing global opponents? 

Star player Lionel Messi doesn't necessarily think so. He was one of the most vocal critics of Miami's last preseason, which featured stops in El Salvador, Saudi Arabia and Japan. 

"I'm a little tired of this whole tour," he told the Japanese media in advance of a match against Vissel Kobe. "I have a desire to finish up the last game and return home."

It was hard to blame him for that sentiment. Miami won just one of its seven preseason games in 2024 and looked exhausted against its global opponents. The tour was a PR disaster for the club.

Clearly, Miami hopes to turn that around in 2025 by limiting its travel to the Americas. But with five different competitions looming and a veteran squad, it's hard to understand how these extra games serve their intended purpose. Miami already must limit the minutes of its key players; these extra games just complicate that math.

Miami will also be without starting goalkeeper Drake Callender and its young attacking phenom, Benjamin Cremaschi. The two were called up to Mauricio Pochettino's January U.S. Men's National Team camp and will be unavailable for Miami's opening preseason fixtures.

There's a silver lining to Miami's preseason: If it wins despite exhausting travel, difficult opponents and a missing goalkeeper, it might be able to survive its grueling 2025 regular-season schedule, too.