Messi: stop in Spain to prepare for a World Cup that will not be 'confirmed' until 2026

Lionel Messi continues to make history. Last weekend he scored two goals to earn a historic qualification for his club, Inter Miami , who for the first time reached the Conference semi-finals (on 22 September against Cincinnati). It is already their best campaign in the history of a club that started competing in 2020.

After this triumph in Miami, the star will join his national team teammates for a ministage in Alicante ( La Finca Resort), the place where he will stay prior to the only friendly match that the world champion will play in this window (November 14 against Angola at the 11 de Noviembre stadium in Luanda). T he friendly match is said to bring in around 10 million euros for the AFA (Argentine Football Association). The Albiceleste will train there every day before leaving for Africa on Thursday.

These days in Spain, La Albiceleste will train with all its players in preparation for a World Cup in which Leo is supposed to be present (everyone takes it for granted), although the official confirmation will not come from the player before 2026. Messi wants to take it step by step and be sure of a decision that does seem certain.

Inter, meanwhile, continue to make history with Leo. They were the first club from MLS and Concacaf to beat a European rival at a past Club World Cup, and the first to progress through a round in an intercontinental tournament. Also this season, Inter Miami reached the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League, equalling their best performance in the competition, and reached two consecutive Leagues Cup finals, winning the 2024 edition, their first international title.

In 2024, the club set the all-time record for points by any team in the MLS regular season, earning them the Supporters' Shield, the second trophy in their history. The club's sporting and structural growth is further projected with the move to its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, next season, and the renewal of Lionel Messi, two milestones that will drive a new era in Inter Miami's history in search of new records.