Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, stated on Wednesday that their two games scheduled for China this month had been cancelled.
In an online statement, Inter Miami stated that the tour's promoter had notified the club of the cancellation and that it was "due to unforeseen circumstances in China."
In a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, the tour organizer verified the news and expressed their "deep regret" for the announcement, but they did not give a rationale for their choice.
The team's original schedule included friendly games against two Chinese Super League teams: Qingdao Hainiu on Sunday and Chengdu Rongcheng on Wednesday.
In China, where the men's national team has struggled recently and the domestic league faces corruption, recent World Cup champion Messi enjoys immense popularity.
In June, Messi and the Argentinians' iconic blue-and-white-striped shirts thrilled thousands of supporters when they defeated Australia 2-0 in an international friendly.
The 36-year-old football star increased his lead over Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five, for the most Ballon d'Or trophies in history on Monday as he was given his eighth trophy in Paris.
With Messi's arrival in July, Miami saw a sharp rise in its global social media following, and in August, the team won its first trophy—the Leagues Cup.
