Lionel Messi enjoyed something of a rare break from club competition after Inter Miami failed to reach the playoffs in the 2023 MLS season.
Fans will hope that a good rest and a full-on preseason will do the Argentina star some good, since his team will be playing in the league's opening match of 2024.
Inter Miami were confirmed as curtain-raisers for the coming season when the league announced its schedule on December 20, 2023.
Tata Martino's side will then have to navigate several months of action, punctuated with pauses for the likes of the 2024 Copa America, before the regular MLS season concludes with Decision Day on October 19.
The Sporting News explains when Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and their Inter Miami teammates will be back on the pitch in early 2024.
MORE: All cities that Lionel Messi will visit on road in 2024 MLS season with Inter Miami
When will Inter Miami start the 2024 season?
Inter Miami's first MLS game of the 2024 season will be on February 21, 2024.
They will host Real Salt Lake at DRV PNK Stadium three days before the official opening weekend, when the rest of the league's competitors will get their regular seasons underway.
Inter Miami will then face LA Galaxy and the derby against Orlando City before their first CONCACAF Champions Cup match on March 7, 2024.
MORE: Full dates & times for CONCACAF Champions Cup for Round One and Round of 16
Will Lionel Messi play during the MLS offseason?
It's of course possible that Lionel Messi finds another club to secure a short-term loan with which to bridge the gap, but it feels far more likely that Messi, now 36 years old, will embrace the lengthy rest.
MORE: Full confirmed Inter Miami preseason fixture list, including Messi vs. Ronaldo friendly
Inter Miami have a relatively busy preseason planned, including friendly matches against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, a visit to Hong Kong and Japan, and a home match against Messi's boyhood club, Newell's Old Boys, less than a week before their MLS season begins.