Even after Inter Miami wrapped up their MLS campaign, Lionel Messi kept his training pace relentless as the calendar turned to 2024. The Argentina star was seen clocking in at the gym early in the week, focusing on core work and conditioning to maintain peak form for the coming season.
Messi, the Argentinian icon, was photographed doing sit-ups at the gym on a Monday morning after a clip circulated on the social platform X. The quiet in the gym contrasted with the spotlight that usually follows him, yet the image underscored a simple truth: even a World Cup winner and MLS champion stays committed to training when the team is in the off-season.
The player and Inter Miami are currently in offseason mode, with the club looking ahead to the new year. December serves as a period for rest and recovery for the 36-year-old attacker, who helped the Herons clinch big trophies in 2023 and is now recalibrating for the demands of another MLS campaign.
Following the 2023 season, which featured Messi and Inter Miami lifting the Leagues Cup, many might expect him to be lapping up sun and sea somewhere. Yet the Argentinian star appears unfazed by conventional rest; he has been spotted in the gym or on the training ground since returning from international duty with Argentina in November. It seems this offseason will continue to foreground hard work over a traditional beach retreat, as Messi gears up for upcoming challenges and opportunities with Inter Miami.
Las Garzas and Messi are slated to return to the field on January 19 for a friendly against the El Salvador national team, signaling the start of 2024 pre-season preparations. Until that date, the squad and staff will map out the early phases of the campaign and set goals for the new year. In the broader MLS context, the 2023 season is winding down, with the MLS Cup final featuring the Columbus Crew and LAFC scheduled for Saturday, December 9, as teams finalize travel plans and roster decisions for the postseason run.