Lionel Messi of Inter Miami in motion throughout the preseason pleasant match between Vissel Kobe and Inter Miami at National Stadium on February 07, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan.
| Photo Credit: Kenta Harada
After leaving followers guessing about whether or not or not he would take to the pitch, Lionel Messi got here on in the sixtieth minute in Inter Miami’s pleasant match in Tokyo on Wednesday, thrilling locals however angering followers in Hong Kong, the place he failed to play at a weekend recreation.
The 36-year-old’s no-show at the extremely anticipated match in Hong Kong on Sunday precipitated a furore that has proven no signal of waning, with followers still demanding solutions and a refund three days on.
Inter Miami’s opponent, J-League champion Vissel Kobe, gained Wednesday’s match 4-3 in a penalty shootout after 90 minutes of play ended in a 0-0 draw. Messi, a report eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, didn’t participate in the shootout.
While the sold-out match in Hong Kong drew 40,000 followers, the Japan National Stadium was lower than half full with simply 28,614 in attendance.
“I couldn’t help but start laughing when (Luis) Suarez, (Sergio) Busquets, (Jordi) Alba – all main players – were in the game,” Tweety, a Hong Kong resident who watched Wednesday’s match on-line, instructed Reuters.
“Messi really likes the Japanese fans more by playing 30 minutes.”
With no Messi on the pitch for the primary half, the silence at the Tokyo stadium was deafening at instances throughout the largely uninspiring match.
The loudest cheers erupted when the Argentine World Cup winner’s face was proven on the massive display screen as he sat on the bench. The temper shifted palpably when he began warming up shortly after halftime, and much more as soon as he took to the sector.
“It was thrilling,” mentioned Chris Mohler, an American dwelling in Tokyo. “The second half with Messi coming in, you could just feel like a jolt of electricity to go through the place.”
Another fan, 47-year-old Australian Benson Looi, who moved to Tokyo from Hong Kong 5 years in the past, shared the sentiment.
“(My friends in Hong Kong) were all very disappointed. And I think so was the rest of Hong Kong. So yeah, sorry Hong Kong. But it was awesome (today). It was amazing.”
Hong Kong fans demand refund
Some fans in Hong Kong lashed out at the perceived injustice, commenting on Inter Miami’s YouTube livestream posting: “Refund refund refund refund refund” and “Arrest Messi underneath National Security Law.”
Even Hong Kong’s sports bureau weighed in, saying in an emailed response to Reuters that the government was “extraordinarily disillusioned” that Messi did not play in Hong Kong on Sunday.
“The coach … introduced in Hong Kong on February 4 that Messi couldn’t play due to damage, however three days later, Messi acted freely and performed in Japan, and did lots of intense sports activities on the soccer subject,” the bureau wrote.
“Hong Kong residents have plenty of questions.”
Speaking to media in the mixed zone after the match on Wednesday, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said the decision to play Messi for 30 minutes was made after the training session a day earlier.
“We are grateful to the individuals of Hong Kong, and we undoubtedly perceive the frustration as a result of (Messi) couldn’t take part,” he said. “But it actually was an infinite threat even enjoying him for a couple of minutes.”
