Inter Miami's China Tour Including Lionel Messi Cancelled Following Death of Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang

Cancellation highlights logistical issues and disrupts Messi's warm-up for World Cup qualifying matches; Inter Miami indicates future plans for global outreach.

Inter Miami's planned tour to China, which included exhibition matches, has been cancelled due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. The cancellation was announced by tour promoter NSN, as a mark of respect following the death of China's former Premier Li Keqiang.
The tour was intended to be Inter Miami's first international tour, and would have served as a warm-up for football superstar Lionel Messi before his participation in two World Cup qualifying matches for Argentina later in November.
Messi, who recently won his eighth Ballon d'Or and draws global popularity, has played in China at least eight times before. The attendance for the planned matches could have surpassed 100,000.
Despite the cancellation, Inter Miami maintains its aim to extend its global reach by playing in front of global fans. The club has indicated that it will continue to explore future opportunities with NSN.
The cancellation also disrupts Messi's playing schedule. His most recent game was on Oct. 21, meaning there will be nearly a month's gap in competitive games before Argentina's World Cup qualifiers.