Lionel Messi participated in a friendly match in Japan following his absence from a game in Hong Kong, which caused disappointment among Chinese fans and led to various speculations.
The state media outlet Global Times accused Messi and his club, Inter Miami, of having “political motives” aimed at “embarrassing” Hong Kong with his absence.
Although Messi remained sidelined throughout Sunday’s match in the Chinese special administrative region due to injury, doubts arose during Wednesday’s game in Tokyo about his actual condition.
During Sunday’s match, attended by approximately 38,000 fans at Hong Kong Stadium, disappointment was palpable as they booed and demanded refunds after Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham addressed the crowd. Fans had paid up to HK$4,880 to watch Messi play.
Last year, he received a warm welcome in Beijing during a friendly against Australia, where around 68,000 fans paid top dollar for the chance to watch him live. He also serves as a brand ambassador for prominent Chinese companies like Huawei, Chery, Tencent, Mengniu, Chishui River Wine, and J&T Express.
Hong Kong’s secretary for culture, sports, and tourism, Kevin Yeung, revealed that government officials were assured multiple times that Messi would play but were informed of his injury with just 10 minutes left in the match. “We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy,” Yeung said.”Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out.”
Chief Executive John Lee expressed extreme disappointment over Messi’s absence and demanded an explanation from match organizers, echoing sentiments shared by other officials like lawmaker Regina Ip, who condemned Messi and Inter Miami for what they perceived as a deliberate and calculated snub.
“Messi should never be allowed to return to Hong Kong. His lies and hypocrisy are disgusting,” she added.
The match organizer, Tatler Asia, stated that Messi was contractually obliged to play unless injured and announced the withdrawal of its application for a HK$16m government grant designated for major sporting events.
On the same day as the Japan friendly, he explained his absence from the Hong Kong match due to a “swollen and painful” groin injury, expressing regret and hope for the opportunity to return and perform for Hong Kong fans.
His explanation on Chinese social media platform Weibo garnered considerable attention, with over 142,000 comments, reflecting a mix of supportive and critical sentiments, including accusations of opportunism and insincerity towards Chinese fans.
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