Lionel Messi has addressed his controversial absence from an Inter Miami friendly after facing backlash from fans.
As the weekend approaches, Messi and his teammates arrive in Hong Kong to prepare for the local eleven-man league.
However, according to reports, fans who spent more than a hundred pounds on tickets at the Hong Kong Stadium were disappointed when Messi did not show up for the game.
Inter Miami went on to win 4-1, but the game suffered from Messi’s absence. The fans chanted “We want to see Messi” in the second half.
After the game, the Hong Kong Government’s Large-Scale Sports Events Committee issued a statement asking for an explanation and provided 16 million yuan in funding to the event organizer “Tatler Asia”.
The statement said: “The government and all fans are very disappointed that Messi is absent from the game today, and the organizers need to explain their arrangements to all fans.”
The statement said: “The government and all fans are very disappointed that Messi is absent from the game today, and the organizers need to explain their arrangements to all fans.”
Messi spoke about this issue in Tokyo.
“Actually, I was unlucky not to race on the day of the Hong Kong race,” he said.
“It’s a shame that in football this can happen and we can get injured. It’s really humbling because I’ve always wanted to play and I want to be there and more importantly when we travel thousands of miles and people are enthusiastic Even more so when people come to watch our games.”
He added: “I hope we can come back again and play another game and I can be a part of it. Whenever I get the chance, I will try to do it. But the reality is that I feel bad that I can’t participate.”
When asked whether he would play in Inter Miami’s game against Vissel Kobe, Messi said: “Actually, I feel much better now than I did a few days ago. The final decision will depend on how the training goes.”
To be honest, I’m still a little unsure about whether I can do it. But I feel better now and really hope I can achieve this goal.
