Lionel Messi, the world’s best footballer, has faced a backlash from fans and officials after he failed to play in a friendly match in Hong Kong. The Argentine star, who plays for Inter Miami, was booed by the crowd and criticised by the Hong Kong government for sitting on the bench throughout the game.
The match, which was organised by Tatler Asia, was supposed to feature Messi as the main attraction. Fans paid over £100 for a ticket to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in action against a Hong Kong XI. However, Messi claimed that he was injured and could not play, despite being named on the team sheet.
The fans were furious and demanded a refund, while the co-owner of Inter Miami, David Beckham, was also jeered when he tried to address the crowd. The Hong Kong government, which had paid £1.5m to host the match, was also unhappy and asked for an explanation from the organisers.
The culture minister, Kevin Yeung, said that the government had repeatedly requested Messi to play in the match, even 10 minutes before the end, but the organisers confirmed that he could not. He said that the government then suggested other ways to appease the fans, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with them and receive a trophy, but none of these happened.
The leader of Hong Kong, John Lee, also expressed his dissatisfaction and said that the government would keep on urging the organisers to explain what happened, what were the details of the agreement between them and the team, and why none of the government’s demands were met.
The chairman and CEO of Tatler Asia, Michel Lamuniere, blamed Inter Miami for the fiasco and said that there was a contractual agreement for Messi to play unless he was injured, but that he was named on the team sheet. He said that he was disappointed and sorry for the fans who did not get to see Messi play.
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Messi, meanwhile, defended himself and said that he was injured and could not play, but that he wanted to participate and be there for the fans. He said that he felt much better now and hoped to play in the next match against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Wednesday. He said that he was sorry for the fans and hoped to return to Hong Kong and play another game in the future.
