The Hong Kong government and football fans feel deeply snubbed and disappointed by Leo Messi. The Argentine star's participation in less than a minute of the friendly match scheduled by Inter Miami last Sunday against a local team worried the 40,000 fans who came to watch the event with the intention of seeing their idol live , for great disappointment. With tickets worth around 600 euros, many of which were paid for by fans from other parts of Asia, Messi had to endure a thunderous whistle from the bench. The outrage has led to many Messi supporters who attended the national stadium demanding refunds for their tickets. Not even the Hong Kong government's attempts during the game to bring the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner onto the pitch in the second half bore fruit.
The Hong Kong government, which has provided around 2 million in subsidies to the match organizer, said it was “extremely disappointed” that the Argentine star did not play. In a press conference this Monday, Hong Kong Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung announced that the violations between the government and the organizing company Tatler do not allow it. Inter Miami coach Tata Martino justified this by saying that the decision not to play Messi was made late due to a last-minute injury. However, the Hong Kong government demanded that he at least interact with the public, which didn't happen, to the despair of the fans who packed the venue.
Since Inter Miami landed on the Asian island last Friday, Messimania has been unleashed. Messi fans flocked to the area surrounding the hotel where the American team's expedition was staying, looking for a photo or an autograph. The national stadium was also full on Saturday to watch the training. What the fans didn't realize was that they wouldn't see the developments on Messi's field the next day. They could only watch as he stoically endured the thunderous whistle he received for not playing.
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