Inter Miami Announce South American Tour

Lionel Messi is on the verge of a special part in his illustrious profession as Inter Miami declared their 2026 preseason tour that will comprise of their much-anticipated match with Barcelona, not the Spanish powerhouse. But Barcelona de Guayaquil of Ecuador, their most adorned club. On Saturday, December 27, the announcement was made, which preconditions a football spectacle in the South American territory.

Inter Miami, who recently won their very first MLS championship, start their preseason trip in Lima, Peru, against Alianza Lima, January 24 at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva. Miami will host the second consecutive preseason season at the Alianza Lima club in Peru, which has a record of 25 national titles and is among the most successful clubs in Peru, and this illustrates the increased international popularity of MLS teams.

The tour will then proceed to Colombia where Messi and his entourage will play Atlético Nacional in Medellin on January 31 at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot. The Atlético Nacional is a two-time winner of the Copa Libertadores and also one of the strongest clubs of South America, which will become a challenge to the champions of the MLS.

The climax comes on February 7 in Guayaquil, Ecuador when Inter Miami play Barcelona SC at the legendary Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha. It is the first match between Inter Miami and a team based in Ecuador and pits Messi against a team that bears the same name as Barcelona though with a totally different footballing history.

Messi comes into preseason with an impressive 2025 season. The Argentine star brought Inter Miami to their virgin MLS Cup in which he had scored 43 goals and provided 25 assists in various competitions. Messi also demonstrated his perennial impact on world football by making 74 goal contributions to the club and the national team in the last calendar year.