MIAMI — Lionel Messi, fresh off accepting his MLS MVP trophy, kicked off the holiday season by traveling 6,870 miles to Azerbaijan this week and brought along teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba for a private charity event in the capital city of Baku.

Azerbaijan is a landlocked country in Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, Iran, Russia, Georgia, and Turkey.

Messi and his friends attended a gathering on Wednesday at the Crystal Hall, a famous music and sports venue. The event included a concert featuring French singer Willy William and Romanian group Morandi.

The Argentine legend received a personalized rug with an image of himself lifting the World Cup trophy.

“I have discovered the culture and the people of Azerbaijan,” Messi said. “Thank you for the warm greeting. Thank you very much for the support.”

Messi, Suárez, Busquets and Alba also paid a visit and laid flowers at the tomb of former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, on the eve of the 21st anniversary of his death Dec. 12, 2003. That part of the visit drew some criticism on social media from opponents of Aliyev’s regime.

Inter Miami vs. Club America in Las Vegas?

Speaking of travel, Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said last week that the club is not planning another four-country, seven-game globetrotting preseason tour, as it did last year.

The team played in El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan in early 2024 and wound up dealing with injuries to a few players and a controversy when Messi sustained an injury and was unable to play in Hong Kong.

Mas said the team does plan a trip abroad in early 2025, but it will be a more compact itinerary, and that a high-profile game was being planned in the United States.

Deporte Total USA reported that Inter Miami will play Mexican power Club America in Las Vegas and that the game is tentatively set for Jan. 18. An MLS source confirmed that Inter Miami and Club America are in talks about a game, but details had not been finalized.

Also, the club announced it will play a friendly match against Orlando City in Tampa on Feb. 14.

CJ Dos Santos traded to San Diego FC

Inter Miami traded backup goalkeeper CJ dos Santos to expansion club San Diego FC in exchange for $100,000 in 2025 general allocation money (GAM). Dos Santos, 24, signed for Inter Miami ahead of the 2022 MLS season. He made three appearances for the first team — two in MLS and one in the Leagues Cup, in which he kept a clean sheet against Mexican side Club Puebla in 2024 — and 28 matches for Inter Miami II in MLS NEXT Pro.

New ‘Fortitude’ jersey unveiled

Inter Miami on Thursday released its new “Fortitude” away jersey for the 2025 season. It has black and granite-gray blocks with the trademark pink trim.

The club explained in a press release that the name came from the Latin word “Fortis,” which means strength, and the Spanish word “Fortaleza,” which stands for resilience and determination. This shirt also serves as a tribute to Fort Lauderdale, “a city that has become a fortress for Inter Miami CF and the stage for some of the Club’s most significant milestones”.

This coming season will be the team’s final season in Fort Lauderdale before moving to Miami Freedom Park in 2026.

The new kits are on sale at the team store at Chase Stadium beginning Thursday (Dec. 12), while supplies last. It is also available online at MLSstore.com and adidas.com. Royal Caribbean, the club’s official jersey partner, will soon have the jersey available for purchase on its ships.

©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.