It’s not cheap to watch Lionel Messi play, especially after his legend grew during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Obviously, it’s not cheap to watch him sit on the sidelines either.
Fans in Hong Kong who paid to watch Messi and Inter Miami play a friendly match against the Hong Kong Stars XI on Sunday were able to see the legend, but did not see him in action.
Messi and his teammate Luis Suárez appeared dressed in street clothes and the crowd was not very excited. Messi and Suarez were loudly booed, as was club president David Beckham, when he appeared on screen in front of the 40,000 spectators at the Hong Kong stadium.
Soccer fans in Hong Kong booed Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham and chanted for a “refund” after Lionel Messi, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Luis Suarez did not play in a friendly match on Sunday. https://t.co/Vu72DI6kdR pic.twitter.com/gvGGmJoy7j
– ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2024
Messi was sidelined with a hamstring strain, while Suarez was dealing with a knee injury. Inter Miami were without Messi for almost the entire match against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr earlier in the week, with the 36-year-old not coming on until the 83rd minute.
Injury concerns surrounding Messi did not stop fans from unleashing “refund” chants after spending big on tickets.
#NOW: Cries of “refund” while soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Luiz Suárez do not appear on the field. pic.twitter.com/pJxpjKxF6a
-Jay Ganglani (@GanglaniJay) February 4, 2024
One fan was even caught on video decapitating a cardboard cutout of Messi surrounded by his Inter Miami teammates.
???⚽️
A fan at the Hong Kong stadium reacts after Lionel Messi did not play in Hong Kong on Sunday.
(?️: forwarded online) pic.twitter.com/vTR8kagnE2—Aaron Busch (@tripperhead) February 4, 2024
While NBA fans can have this type of experience regularly, the Hong Kong government did not take Messi’s decision lightly. Hong Kong’s Major Sports Events Committee said the government was “extremely disappointed” by the decision not to play Messi and indicated that funding for the event would be reduced as a result. The government contributed $1.92 million to the match.
Messi and Inter Miami travel to Japan for a friendly against Japanese champion Vissel Kobe on Thursday, but it is unknown if the icon plans not to play again.
