The Hong Kong government has expressed its disappointment and demanded answers from Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi following the Argentine’s absence in a friendly match held in Hong Kong. Despite citing injury as the reason for his non-participation, Messi played in another exhibition match in Japan just three days later. The Hong Kong Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau released a statement seeking reasonable explanations from the organizers and teams involved.
The absence of Lionel Messi from the much-anticipated Inter Miami match in Hong Kong left fans dismayed and demanding answers. The match had a sell-out crowd of 40,000 spectators, with tickets reaching prices as high as nearly HK$5,000 ($640) per ticket. The disappointment among fans led to questions about the differential treatment for Hong Kong and the impact on the financial aspects of the event.
Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino initially stated that Lionel Messi was likely to play in the Hong Kong friendly but later declared him unfit to participate. This inconsistency in the coach’s statements added to the frustration among the fans who had eagerly anticipated Messi’s presence on the field. The contradictory messaging raised doubts and suspicions regarding the integrity of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi himself.
While Hong Kong witnessed a crowd of 40,000 eager fans, the match in Tokyo had noticeably lower attendance. Only 28,614 tickets were sold for the match in Japan, leaving entire blocks of seating unoccupied. This discrepancy in attendance numbers added fuel to the fire, with many questioning the reasons behind Messi’s absence in Hong Kong, and why he chose to play in Japan instead.
China’s state-controlled Global Times criticized Inter Miami and Lionel Messi for the differential treatment shown towards Hong Kong. They pointed out that Messi’s absence in Hong Kong was the only one among his six pre-season friendly matches during the trip. The Global Times stated that the situation had magnified doubts and suspicions surrounding the integrity of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi. Mainland fans, some of whom had traveled for 12 hours from Xinjiang to Hong Kong specifically to see Messi, expressed their disappointment. The government, similarly displeased, considered the incident to be deliberate and calculated, leading to severe backlash.
Inter Miami’s preseason tour concludes on February 15 with a match against Messi’s youth club, Newell’s Old Boys. The controversy surrounding Messi’s absence in Hong Kong has cast a shadow over the team’s tour and raised questions about the integrity and professionalism of both Inter Miami and Lionel Messi. The team will soon begin their regular-season play in the Major League Soccer (MLS), starting with a match against Real Salt Lake on February 21.
The absence of Lionel Messi in the Hong Kong friendly match has sparked controversy and generated disappointment among fans and the Hong Kong government. Questions about the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself have emerged, with differential treatment and mixed messages from the coach contributing to the overall frustration. The impact of this incident has extended beyond the realm of sports, leading to financial implications and government criticism. As the situation unfolds, fans eagerly await reasonable explanations from the organizers and teams involved.