Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Feb 10, 2024 11:14 am

China cancels second friendly with Argentina after Lionel Messi no-show

lionel messi
Photo by: Naoki Nishimura-USA TODAY Sports

Argentina’s upcoming friendly in China has been canceled by local authorities, the second Argentine match in China to be called off this week amid controversy over star Lionel Messi’s absence from a Hong Kong match last Sunday.

Beijing’s football association announced Saturday it will not organize a friendly scheduled for March between Argentina and the Ivory Coast.

“Beijing does not plan, for the moment, to organise the match in which Lionel Messi was to participate,” the Beijing Football Association said Saturday in a statement to local media.

The cancellation comes a day after a friendly between Argentina and Nigeria, also planned for March, was nixed by the Hangzhou Sports Bureau.

During a long 2024 preseason road trip with Inter Miami that included stops in El Salvador and Saudi Arabia, Messi missed last Sunday’s match in Hong Kong because of an injury. The team faced an angry backlash from fans, some of whom demanded refunds for their tickets because the Argentinian did not play.

Making matters worse, the coach of Inter Miami, Gerardo Martino, had said his 36-year-old star “likely” would play in Hong Kong.

A large advertising campaign was built around the match, whose organizer is now said to be withdrawing $2 million in government grants for the event.

“The (Hong Kong) government, as well as football fans, are extremely disappointed that Messi could neither play in the friendly match, nor explain to the fans in person upon request,” Hong Kong officials said in a statement last Sunday.

“The way that the organizer and Inter Miami handled the situation could not meet the expectations of the fans who showed strong support to Messi, especially those visitors who came all the way here for the match.”

Hong Kong sports, culture and tourism secretary Kevin Yeung said the deal required Messi to play at least 45 minutes.

On Friday, Tatler Asia, the organizer of Sunday’s Inter Miami game in Hong Kong — which had already issued two apologies — announced it will issue a 50 percent refund to ticket holders. The refund will reportedly amount to $7.2 million.

On Wednesday in Tokyo, Messi played 30 minutes in Inter Miami’s 4-3 penalty shootout loss to J-League champion Vissel Kobe. While his appearance thrilled Tokyo spectators, it further roiled Hong Kong.

“The coach … announced in Hong Kong on February 4 that Messi could not play due to injury, but three days later, Messi acted freely and played in Japan, and did a lot of intense sports on the football field,” Hong Kong’s sports bureau wrote to Reuters. “Hong Kong citizens have lots of questions.”

Inter Miami will play a Feb. 15 preseason match against Newell’s Old Boys, Messi’s boyhood club in Argentina. The club will open the MLS season at home on Feb. 21 against Real Salt Lake.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

Houston, San Diego FC
Jul 6, 2025 1:14 am

Dynamo rally late, edge San Diego FC in stoppage time

Ezequiel Ponce scored a pair of late goals, including the go-ahead score in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time, as the visiting Houston Dynamo rallied to earn a 4-3…

New England, Portland
Jul 6, 2025 1:12 am

David Da Costa’s goal pushes Timbers past Revolution

David Da Costa recorded the tiebreaking goal in the second half and Ian Smith scored in the first half to help the Portland Timbers notch a 2-1 victory over the…

New York Red Bulls
Jul 6, 2025 12:49 am

Red Bulls’ own goal allows Earthquakes to earn 1-1 draw

The San Jose Earthquakes benefited from a Mohammed Sofo own goal and overcame a DeJuan Jones red card in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with the visiting New York Red Bulls. Sofo’s…

More Soccer News

Houston, San Diego FC
Jul 6, 2025 1:14 am

Dynamo rally late, edge San Diego FC in stoppage time

Ezequiel Ponce scored a pair of late goals, including the go-ahead score in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time, as the visiting Houston Dynamo rallied to earn a 4-3…

New England, Portland
Jul 6, 2025 1:12 am

David Da Costa’s goal pushes Timbers past Revolution

New York Red Bulls
Jul 6, 2025 12:49 am

Red Bulls’ own goal allows Earthquakes to earn 1-1 draw

america first field
Jul 6, 2025 12:07 am

Real Salt Lake extends Real Salt Lake’s misery with narrow win

Hany Mukhtar
Jul 5, 2025 11:03 pm

Hany Mukhtar’s stoppage-time PK lifts Nashville over Union

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds
[gs-fb-comments]