Not Even Ronaldo, Messi Too... 40,000 Fans Angry Over 'No-Show' Against Hong Kong

Soccer star Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) sparked outrage among fans after being listed only as a substitute in a friendly match held in Hong Kong and not actually playing in the game.

On the 4th, during the friendly match between the Hong Kong Pro Football All-Star team and Inter Miami CF held at the Hong Kong Stadium, Lionel Messi is sitting on the bench chewing gum.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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On the 4th, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that as Messi remained on the bench until the final moments of the match against the Hong Kong Professional Football All-Star team, the crowd demanded refunds, causing a commotion. Messi, who recently suffered a hamstring injury, only did stretching exercises during the open training session the day before and stayed on the bench during the match. Because of this, the spectators' dissatisfaction grew louder during the game, reaching a peak of boos in the last 10 minutes.

After the match, David Beckham, the owner of the Miami team, took the stage to express his gratitude, but the crowd continued to boo and shouted "Refund, refund." The boos persisted even during speeches by other high-ranking officials, and some spectators protested by storming the stadium.

The media reported that some fans had traveled from overseas specifically for the 'Messi Tour,' including fans from Korea who came to see Messi play before his retirement. The outlet explained, "The 40,000 spectators who paid up to 4,880 Hong Kong dollars (about 840,000 KRW) to enter the stadium only got to see Messi rubbing his leg on the bench before having to go home." After the game, angry spectators even exhibited extreme behavior, such as kicking off a promotional panel featuring Messi's head.

Earlier, tickets for this match sold out within an hour of going on sale online last December. Ticket prices ranged from 880 to 4,880 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 16,000 to 84,000 KRW). However, the organizers announced last December that ticket refunds would not be available even if Messi did not participate, making actual refunds unlikely.

On the 4th, during a friendly match, when Messi did not appear until the end, Pam, enraged, kicked the image of Messi in the promotional panel.
[Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

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However, the media explained that since Inter Miami had heavily promoted the match in Hong Kong with Messi as the main attraction, local expectations for Messi's performance in the game were high. Chinese broadcasters even aired live footage of Messi arriving at Hong Kong airport on a chartered plane.

Gerardo Martino, Inter Miami's coach, said, "We understand that fans are very disappointed by the absence of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi," but added, "Their non-participation was a decision made by the medical staff after assessing their physical condition. If we had put them in the game, there could have been health issues." He continued, "We understand that fans are very disappointed and we apologize to them. It would have been better to let the players onto the field briefly, but the risk was too great." Fans pointed out on social media that Messi was wearing regular sneakers, not soccer cleats, from the start while on the bench. When asked about the timing of the decision for Messi not to play, Coach Martino replied, "This morning."

The Hong Kong government issued a statement saying, "The government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed with the organizers' handling of Messi not participating in today's match. The organizers have an obligation to explain to all football fans." It added, "The Major Sports Events Committee will take follow-up actions with the organizers according to the contract terms, including the possibility of deducting sponsorship funds due to Messi's failure to play."

In 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared at the Seoul World Cup Stadium for a friendly match against a K League select team but never stepped onto the field. At that time, the Korea Professional Football Federation included a clause in the contract with the organizers requiring Ronaldo to be included in the roster and play at least 45 minutes, but Ronaldo ultimately did not participate, citing conditioning reasons. Furthermore, with over 60,000 spectators in attendance, the Juventus team arrived at the stadium nearly an hour past the scheduled kickoff time, causing the match to be delayed and angering fans. As a result, public opinion in Korea worsened to the point where a new derogatory nickname combining "thief" and Ronaldo, "Nalkangdu," emerged, but the player did not issue a separate apology.

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