Messi's plan during MLS off-season as Inter Miami miss out on playoffs

The end of the MLS regular league season had reopened the possibility of a temporary return to Barcelona. for Lionel Messi.

His team, Inter Miami, have not qualified for the playoffs for the title, so the Argentinian will have finished the competition by 22 October, after the double-header against Charlotte which will bring the regular campaign to an end.

Inter Miami will start the new preseason on 7 January 2024, which means Messi will be out of action for two and a half months.

In the same situation, club owner David Beckham took advantage of the break to play on loan at Milan. And former Blaugrana forward Thierry Henry also took advantage of those months to play temporarily for Arsenal.

The chances of Messi playing temporarily at Barça during this period, however, are fading. On the one hand, the player is not very keen on a temporary loan, especially after an injury that has prevented him from playing the last five games.

On the other hand, the economic situation of the Catalan club and their lack of financial fair play make it difficult for him to join LaLiga.

In addition, Inter Miami have scheduled a tour of China to make the Argentinean's presence profitable. The North American team is negotiating a series of matches in the Asian country once its participation in the regular phase of MLS concludes.

It is a tour that they will try to make compatible in dates with Messi's international commitments with Argentina. The Albiceleste have four crucial World Cup 2026 qualifiers on the horizon.

During this break, the Albiceleste host Paraguay (13 October) and visit Peru (18 October). And in the next international window, they host Uruguay (17 November) and visit Brazil (22 November).

Once the tour of China and Argentina's qualifiers are over, Messi will enjoy a well-deserved holiday until after Christmas. All these circumstances added together mean that the option of a temporary return to Barça is now unlikely.