The universally adored Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has always stayed away from controversy for most of his glittering career. Until Sunday when Messi, Inter Miami and owner David Beckham was booed mercilessly in Hong Kong when the Argentine World Cup winner did not come off the bench due to an injury in a match against a local side.
The anger turned into vitriol when a few days later Messi played 30 minutes in a match in Japan against Vissel Kobe.
Why did Lionel Messi opt to sit out the match in Hong Kong?
According to Inter Miami head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, Messi was deemed unfit to play in Sunday’s match in the Hong Kong friendly. This was the second match Messi missed after he pulled out of playing against Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia which Miami lost 6-0.
What was Messi’s reaction in not playing the Hong Kong friendly?
Lionel Messi’s official Weibo account had already apologized to the Chinese fans after not playing in the Hong Kong match. ‘Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play…