Lionel Messi‘s 2026 MLS campaign countdown begins: Inter Miami sets date for training return ahead of South American pre-season tour

With preparations underway for a demanding new year, the club has quietly set the wheels in motion for a comeback that stretches far beyond Florida.

Lionel Messi’s off-season break is drawing to a close, and the next chapter of Inter Miami’s story is about to begin. After a historic campaign that redefined expectations in Major League Soccer, the reigning champion is carefully mapping out its return, blending sporting ambition with global visibility. With preparations underway for a demanding new year, the club has quietly set the wheels in motion for a comeback that stretches far beyond Florida.

The plan is clear: reset, reconnect, and relaunch. And at the heart of it all stands the Argentine superstar, ready to lead the Herons back into the spotlight as the club prepares for another defining season.

Fresh off an MLS Cup triumph, Inter Miami enters 2026 with a different kind of pressure. Success has raised the bar, and maintaining that level now requires meticulous preparation. Rather than easing back into action, the club has chosen an ambitious route: a high-profile preseason tour across South America, facing some of the continent’s most historic sides.

This approach reflects how far Inter Miami has come in a short space of time. Once seen primarily as an expansion project, the team now presents itself as a global brand, capable of drawing attention — and crowds — far beyond MLS borders. Messi’s presence remains central to that transformation, not just as a player, but as a symbol of credibility on the world stage.

Before the flights, the friendlies, and the sold-out stadiums, there is a more understated step: the return to work. Miami has scheduled its players to report back in phases, beginning with routine medical evaluations, followed by the first full training session of the year. That date marks the true start of their title defense and signals the end of the off-season for Messi and his teammates.

The squad is set to resume collective training on January 13, a moment that effectively launches the 2026 campaign from the training ground upward. From there, the calendar accelerates quickly.

South America awaits

Inter Miami’s preseason will unfold across three soccer-mad nations, each offering a unique challenge and cultural backdrop. The tour opens in Peru against Alianza Lima, a club steeped in domestic success with 25 top-flight titles to its name. This fixture continues Inter Miami’s growing relationship with Peruvian soccer, marking a second consecutive preseason visit to the country.

From Lima, the team will travel to Colombia to face Atletico Nacional, widely regarded as the most decorated club in Colombian soccer history. With 18 league titles and multiple continental trophies, Atletico Nacional provides a level of competition that mirrors the intensity Inter Miami will face later in the MLS season.

The tour concludes in Ecuador against Barcelona de Guayaquil, a historic opponent boasting 16 domestic championships. This match carries additional significance as Inter Miami’s first-ever game against Ecuadorian opposition, underlining the club’s expanding international footprint. Together, these fixtures form more than a preseason schedule; they are a statement of intent.

Once the South American leg concludes, Inter Miami will return to Florida to finalize preparations for its 2026 MLS season opener against LAFC on February 21. It is a demanding start, pitting the champions against one of the league’s perennial contenders, and an immediate test of how effective the preseason work has been.