Messi misses international break for first time, prepares for MLS playoffs with Inter Miami

According to Olé, this FIFA international break is a bit special for Messi. After more than 20 years wearing the Argentina jersey, Leo is spending his first national team hiatus away from the Ezeiza training complex, though he hasn't been far from the pitch. While he will likely still follow Scaloni's Argentina matches against Uruguay and Costa Rica, Messi's focus is on the MLS playoffs.

Therefore, as Scaloni announced he would continue coaching Argentina and face the challenge of rebuilding the team without Messi, Messi is training with Inter Miami CF for a series of very important upcoming matches against Columbus SC.

Given the path to the championship, Inter Miami CF shared a video of Messi training. The video shows him dribbling in his signature style and finishing with iconic goals, while also assisting Suarez and other teammates.

So, even though he isn't with the national team for this training camp, Messi is still training hard because Inter Miami CF faces the crucial challenge of the MLS playoffs.

Inter Miami CF will begin their championship quest on November 21, with the first leg of the Eastern Conference series against Columbus SC. The second leg will be played away a week later.

It's important to note that the playoffs are a best-of-three series, so if one team wins the first leg and the other wins the second, a third match will be played at Inter Miami CF's home ground. There is no aggregate score in the playoffs, so the number of goals scored in each match is irrelevant. Furthermore, if the third match ends in a draw, the series will be decided by a penalty shootout.