Will jet lag prevent Lionel Messi from winning more trophies at Inter Miami? Tata Martino's side warned against using 'convenient excuse' if latest MLS Cup bid fails

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner helped to deliver a historic Leagues Cup triumph within weeks of his arrival in the United States. Messi made an immediate impact at DRV PNK Stadium, becoming the most-decorated player of all-time, and has stated a desire to add to his medal collection while in Florida.

Watch Inter Miami with the MLS Season Pass

Stream now

Inter Miami will be competing on multiple fronts in the upcoming campaign, with a bid for MLS Cup glory set to be complemented by the defence of a Leagues Cup crown and efforts to savour CONCACAF Champions Cup and U.S. Open Cup success.

Messi will be leading those charges, but there will be plenty of jet-setting for him to take in along the way. Former USMNT star Tim Howard has told the Daily Mail of whether travel sickness could hold the Herons back: “I would be shocked if Inter Miami was not near the top of MLS this year. There are fears that the hangover from all this travel and all these games will affect Messi and Co. I think that's a convenient excuse. I don't buy it because preseason is for building fitness and sports science is the be-all and end-all of these clubs. They're monitoring every single heartbeat of these players.

“Pre-season is hard, of course. It's taxing on your body, you're away from your family. It is draining. While in the Premier League, I went to the US, Hong Kong and Singapore. One year, we were due to head to Australia but the promoter never paid the money. So we didn’t go and the players were delighted not to be trekking around the world. Managers are no different - they hate the commercial demands of touring, even if they appreciate the financial benefit these trips bring their club. But spending more time with each other - having a coffee in the hotel lobby, playing some cards - is priceless. Trust has never been built on the pitch. It's always built off it. So the more time you spend together, the more trust you build, the more you have each other's back and the more late goals you score.”

Messi and Co are spending much of their pre-season outside of America, with Inter Miami currently in Saudi Arabia for meetings with Al-Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr – with a 4-3 defeat suffered in the first of those fixtures. They have already travelled to El Salvador and have trips to Hong Kong and Japan to come before returning to home soil.