Lionel Messi and David Beckham, co-owner of Inter-Miami, faced boos from disgruntled fans on Sunday when the Argentine superstar didn’t play in the team’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. The city government demanded an explanation from organizers after the match, which saw the visitors win 4-1 against a Hong Kong select XI. Despite being the World Cup-winning captain, Messi, who is nursing a hamstring strain, remained on the bench throughout the game. This sparked frustration among the near-capacity crowd of 38,323, many of whom had paid over 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to witness their idol, some even paying five times that amount. Chants of “We want Messi” echoed throughout the Hong Kong Stadium as fans expressed their disappointment during the second half. The dissatisfaction escalated in the final 10 minutes when it became evident that Messi wouldn’t make even a brief appearance. The booing intensified at the end of the match, drowning out Beckham’s attempts to thank the crowd for their support, as fans signaled their displeasure with thumbs-down gestures.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” said fan Jonathan Wong to AFP. “Everyone came here to see Messi, so I feel deceived. Without him, it feels like just another ordinary Hong Kong Premier League match, where tickets cost only HK$80. This time, we paid HK$5,000.”
Miami coach Gerardo Martino explained that the decision was made by the club’s medical team after assessing Messi’s condition on Sunday morning.
Messi, aged 36, only played six minutes in Miami’s last match in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Now, he faces a race against time to recover for the new MLS season starting on February 21.