Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates have scheduled two friendly matches in South America for early 2026.
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.
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.
