Huge anger in China over Lionel Messi, friendly match cancelled

As veteran football player Lionel Messi did not play in the club exhibition match in Hong Kong, there is a great deal of resentment in China. The friendly football game scheduled to take place in China next month against Argentina was called off on Friday as a result. During the international break, from March 18 to 26, the Argentina team, led by Lionel Messi, the FIFA Football World Cup champion, was supposed to play. The game was scheduled to take place in Beijing against Ivory Coast and in Hangzhou against Nigeria.

Due to a groyne injury, Lionel Messi, who was on tour with Inter Miami, did not take the pitch against the local team in Hong Kong and instead spent the full ninety minutes on the sidelines.

In contrast, Lionel Messi played 30 minutes during Inter Miami's exhibition match in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe. Following this, many on Chinese social media platforms voiced their disappointment that Messi would not be playing in Hong Kong. The friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria has been cancelled due to the current circumstances, according to the Sports Bureau located in Hangzhou.