Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF has announced that it will travel to China this November for its first ever international tour, as the club looks to expand its presence in new markets and get ready for 2024. The club will play two teams from the Chinese Super League in friendly matches. The first match will take place on November 5 against Qingdao Hainiu FC at Qingdao’s Youth Football Stadium. Messi & co will play their second match against Chengdu Rongcheng on November 8 at Phoenix Hill Sports Park.
Inter Miami Statement
“We’re very excited to continue to expand our Club’s global reach, bringing our team to play in front of incredible fans across the globe. This is a special opportunity to share the passion as we reach new audiences and put ourselves on display in new places, and we’re looking forward to beginning this adventure,” said Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi in the official release.
“This will be a great opportunity to continue building on our 2023 campaign, in which we achieved our first-ever trophy. We will take this as an opportunity to begin our preparations for 2024, as we look to build on last season and find more success moving forward,” Sporting Director and Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson added.
Chinese opponents
On the first leg of the tour, Inter Miami will play against Chinese Super League powerhouse Qingdao Hainiu FC. The club is based in the Chinese city of Qingdao. Their state-of-the-art 50,000 capacity Qingdao Football Stadium opened in April this year. Founded in 1990, Qingdao is currently managed by Spanish head coach Antonio Carrillo. The club has been a constant presence in China’s top division since 1997. They have never faced relegation in the past 26 years.
Inter Miami will next play at Phoenix Hill Sports Park in front of more than 60,000 fans. Founded in 2018, Chengdu Rongcheng entered the country’s fourth division in its inaugural season and earned promotion in three of the first four seasons. They made it to the Chinese topflight for the first time last year. In its debut season in the topflight, Inter Rongcheng finished 5th out of 18 teams in the first division. Currently, the club is sitting in 6th place in the China Super League standings.
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