Messi to miss Inter Miami training as he travels to Spain for Princess of Asturias Award

Lionel Messi will take a short break from Inter Miami's demanding schedule to fulfill a special commitment in Spain. The Argentine star will travel to Oviedo to collect the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, a prize he was granted in June and which now forces him to step away from training with the Florida club for a few days.

• Messi will miss some Inter Miami training sessions to travel to Oviedo and receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.
• Head coach Kily González confirmed the club supports the trip and values the importance of the award for the player and his family.
• The Argentine will play against Atlanta United before flying to Spain and will be available for the match against New York Red Bulls on October 24.
• Inter Miami remains in the fight for the top spot in MLS and needs Messi fully focused for the final stretch of the regular season.

Messi returns to Spain for a historic award

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will once again be in the spotlight away from the pitch. The Princess of Asturias Award for Sports honors his career and his global impact on football, and the ceremony at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo has become one of the most prestigious events on Spain's institutional calendar. For Messi, it is another recognition of a career that left a lasting mark both at Barcelona and with Argentina's national team.

Deciding to attend the ceremony in person shows how much the footballer values an award with such tradition. It is not common for an active athlete to change his competition routine to fly to Europe in the middle of the season, but the significance of the Princess of Asturias Award and his deep connection with Spain fully justify the trip.

Kily González backs Messi's trip to Oviedo

Inter Miami head coach Kily González made no secret of his satisfaction with Messi's attitude toward this commitment. Far from viewing it as a logistical problem, the Argentine coach highlighted how naturally his franchise player takes on these responsibilities. The club has approved the trip to Spain because it understands that an award of this magnitude goes beyond the sporting side.

He has this commitment and I love how he handles it. The club fully agrees with him going, because it is a tremendously important award, not only for him but for his family.

Those words from Kily González sum up the feeling of a franchise that has built its project around Messi and handles the institutional duties of its biggest star with complete normality. The coach made it clear he is counting on the forward for the remainder of the regular season and the decisive phase of the North American tournament.

Messi's schedule between MLS and the ceremony in Asturias

Messi will not neglect his immediate sporting commitments. Before heading to Spain, he will play against Atlanta United, scheduled for early Saturday morning. It will be his last appearance with Inter Miami before boarding a plane and crossing the Atlantic for the awards ceremony.

Once the ceremony in Oviedo is over, the Argentine will return to Florida to rejoin the group and prepare for the match against New York Red Bulls on October 24. Kily González was emphatic on that point: Messi can miss training, but not the league game. Inter Miami needs its best player in the push to finish the regular season at the top of the standings.

What is at stake for Inter Miami in the final MLS stretch

The Florida club is fully involved in the battle for the league title. With the regular season entering its decisive phase, every match counts to secure a strong position ahead of the playoffs, where Inter Miami hopes to contend for the championship with Messi as its main attacking weapon.

The star's brief absence from training does not alter the sporting plan: the coaching staff is confident that the trip to Spain will be a parenthesis with no physical consequences and that Messi will return recharged for the final push. His influence on the team is undeniable and every minute on the field can make a difference in a league as competitive as MLS.

Another honor for a one-of-a-kind career

The Princess of Asturias Award for Sports joins an endless list of honors that have marked Lionel Messi's career. From his first individual trophies to the World Cup won with Argentina in Qatar, the Rosario native has collected recognitions that few athletes in history can match. This award, presented by the Princess of Asturias Foundation, also highlights his status as a global icon beyond the field of play.

Traveling to Oviedo means reconnecting with the country that watched him grow as a footballer and with which he keeps a unique emotional bond. His years at Barcelona, his time living in Castelldefels and his glory days in LaLiga are part of the collective memory of Spanish football. Receiving such a prestigious award in Asturias brings a special full-circle moment for the best player of his generation.