Lionel Messi and David Beckham Face Backlash from Fans in Hong Kong Exhibition Match
Hong Kong was filled with disappointment and anger on Sunday as Lionel Messi, the World Cup-winning captain, and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham were booed by fans and faced demands for refunds after Messi sat out the team’s pre-season friendly match. The Argentina superstar, who is currently suffering from a hamstring strain, remained on the bench throughout the game, leaving the near-capacity crowd of 38,323 feeling cheated.
Despite paying upwards of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to witness Messi’s brilliance on the field, fans were left frustrated and expressed their discontent through chants of “We want Messi” during the second half of the match. The volume of boos intensified in the final 10 minutes when it became clear that Messi would not make even a brief appearance. As David Beckham attempted to thank the crowd for their support, he was drowned out by the chorus of boos, accompanied by thumbs-down gestures from furious fans.
One disappointed football fan, Jonathan Wong, expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “I’m just really disappointed. Everyone is here to see Messi, so I feel a bit cheated. Without him, it’s just like another regular Hong Kong Premier League match, where a ticket only costs HK$80 ($10). This time we paid HK$5,000 ($639).”
Miami coach Gerardo Martino explained that the decision to keep Messi on the bench was made by the club’s medical team after assessing his condition on Sunday morning. Martino expressed his understanding of the fans’ disappointment and apologized, saying, “We wish we could have sent Leo on for at least a while, but the risk was too big.”
This setback for Messi comes after he played only six minutes in Miami’s previous match in Saudi Arabia and now faces a race against time to recover before the new MLS season commences on February 21.
The frustration among fans was evident even before the match, as tens of thousands gathered just to watch Messi train, only to witness him doing little more than jogging and stretching. The team hotel was also besieged by hundreds of fans trying to catch a glimpse of their hero, and a traditional junk boat sailed around Victoria Harbor with Messi’s face prominently displayed on its sails. The demand for Messi merchandise soared, with shirts flying off the shelves after tickets for the match sold out within an hour of going on sale in December.
In addition to Messi’s absence, Miami’s starting line-up did not feature their other former Barcelona stars, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Despite these setbacks, Robert Taylor opened the scoring for the MLS side in the 40th minute, followed by Hong Kong’s Henri Anier equalizing two minutes later. Lawson Sunderland and Leonardo Campana then secured the lead for Miami in the second half, with Ryan Sailor sealing their victory with a glancing header in the 85th minute.
This win marked Miami’s first victory in five matches during their pre-season tour, which will now take them to Japan for a friendly game against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi and David Beckham faced angry fans and demands for refunds after Messi sat out a pre-season friendly match in Hong Kong due to a hamstring strain. Fans paid a significant amount to see Messi play, and chants of “We want Messi” filled the stadium. The booing escalated at the final whistle, and Beckham was drowned out by the crowd’s displeasure. Miami coach Gerardo Martino apologized to fans and explained that the risk of playing Messi was too great. Messi now faces a race against time to be fit for the new MLS season.
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