Lionel Messi did not intend to disrespect China by excluding himself from Inter Miami's February 4, 2024, friendly in Hong Kong.
The 36-year-old made this known via China's largest social media network, Weibo.
Several parties, including Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians, and fans were infuriated when Lionel Messi came off the bench 3 days later in a friendly encounter in Tokyo.
Following the incident, Hangzhou and Beijing have said they will not host the Argentina games slated for March 2024 as the fallout continues.
Anyway, in a bid to appease the angered parties, Messi revealed why he was absent from the game.
The Argentine countered the notion spreading around which tied his unavailability for the game to political reasons and “many other reasons”.
He said in a video posted on Weibo: “I've read and heard many things that have been said after the game in Hong Kong.
“I wanted to record this video and give you the true version so nobody has to continue reading false stories.
“I've heard people say that I didn't want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue.
“Had that been the case I wouldn't have even traveled to Japan or visited China, as I have many times. Since the start of my career, I've had a very close and special relationship with China.”
The former Barcelona man also repeated the reason for his absence from the eagerly expected showdown against a local League XI in Hong Kong on February 4, 2024.
The 36-year-old said: “As I said in the press conference, I had an inflamed adductor and I couldn't play in the first game in Saudi Arabia, which is when I felt it.
“In the second game, I tried to play for a bit, but it got worse. Then on the day before the game (in Hong Kong) I tried to train and made an effort for all those who had come to watch training.”
Lionel Messi added that he felt a bit better days later and that was the reason for him playing against Vissel Kobe in Japan to get back in top shape.
Le Albiceleste were scheduled to play against Nigeria in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in March 2024, before battling against Ivory Coast in Beijing.
However, Messi's failure to play for Inter Miami in Hong Kong on Sunday, February 4, 2024, caused massive uproar and anger amongst the fans.
Those who organized the Hong Kong clash said they would hand fans a 50-percent refund for tickets due to the Argentine's absence from the game, which ended in a 4-1 thumping win for Inter Miami.
The show of anger due to Lionel Messi's unavailability for the game was also witnessed recently, with Hangzhou sports authorities saying that Argentina's friendly against Nigeria would no longer hold.
Reports initially indicated that Lionel Messi had been nursing a hamstring injury upon Inter Miami's arrival in China.
However, based on reports from Hong Kong's sports minister, Messi had been contracted to play for at least 45 minutes.
Unfortunately, despite being on the bench for the game, manager Gerardo Martino didn't bring him on, and that angered fans at the stadium in China.
Co-owner of Inter Miami, David Beckham, greeted the crowd after the clash to thank them for an amazing welcome, but he was booed by many fans across the ground.
Some fans reportedly paid $460 to catch a close rare view of Messi or the injured Luis Suarez.
Initially, reports indicated that fans would not be reimbursed should Messi not play in the game, having been used heavily in the pre-match advertising.
A fan also apparently traveled from Melbourne to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner play.
Many fans displayed their rage on hoardings around the stadium, with a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) showing a fan kicking a cardboard stand of Messi, with his colleagues also chopping the Argentine's head off.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami have picked up just 1 win in their last 15 matches and Lionel Messi will be hoping that he alongside Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets will be able to guide the team out of the dungeon they currently are in.
They commence their 2024 MLS journey, with a home league game against Saint Lake on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
The 36-year-old made this known via China's largest social media network, Weibo.
Several parties, including Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians, and fans were infuriated when Lionel Messi came off the bench 3 days later in a friendly encounter in Tokyo.
Following the incident, Hangzhou and Beijing have said they will not host the Argentina games slated for March 2024 as the fallout continues.
Anyway, in a bid to appease the angered parties, Messi revealed why he was absent from the game.
The Argentine countered the notion spreading around which tied his unavailability for the game to political reasons and “many other reasons”.
He said in a video posted on Weibo: “I've read and heard many things that have been said after the game in Hong Kong.
“I wanted to record this video and give you the true version so nobody has to continue reading false stories.
“I've heard people say that I didn't want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue.
“Had that been the case I wouldn't have even traveled to Japan or visited China, as I have many times. Since the start of my career, I've had a very close and special relationship with China.”
The former Barcelona man also repeated the reason for his absence from the eagerly expected showdown against a local League XI in Hong Kong on February 4, 2024.
The 36-year-old said: “As I said in the press conference, I had an inflamed adductor and I couldn't play in the first game in Saudi Arabia, which is when I felt it.
“In the second game, I tried to play for a bit, but it got worse. Then on the day before the game (in Hong Kong) I tried to train and made an effort for all those who had come to watch training.”
Lionel Messi added that he felt a bit better days later and that was the reason for him playing against Vissel Kobe in Japan to get back in top shape.
Le Albiceleste were scheduled to play against Nigeria in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in March 2024, before battling against Ivory Coast in Beijing.
However, Messi's failure to play for Inter Miami in Hong Kong on Sunday, February 4, 2024, caused massive uproar and anger amongst the fans.
Those who organized the Hong Kong clash said they would hand fans a 50-percent refund for tickets due to the Argentine's absence from the game, which ended in a 4-1 thumping win for Inter Miami.
The show of anger due to Lionel Messi's unavailability for the game was also witnessed recently, with Hangzhou sports authorities saying that Argentina's friendly against Nigeria would no longer hold.
Reports initially indicated that Lionel Messi had been nursing a hamstring injury upon Inter Miami's arrival in China.
However, based on reports from Hong Kong's sports minister, Messi had been contracted to play for at least 45 minutes.
Unfortunately, despite being on the bench for the game, manager Gerardo Martino didn't bring him on, and that angered fans at the stadium in China.
Co-owner of Inter Miami, David Beckham, greeted the crowd after the clash to thank them for an amazing welcome, but he was booed by many fans across the ground.
Some fans reportedly paid $460 to catch a close rare view of Messi or the injured Luis Suarez.
Initially, reports indicated that fans would not be reimbursed should Messi not play in the game, having been used heavily in the pre-match advertising.
A fan also apparently traveled from Melbourne to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner play.
Many fans displayed their rage on hoardings around the stadium, with a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) showing a fan kicking a cardboard stand of Messi, with his colleagues also chopping the Argentine's head off.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami have picked up just 1 win in their last 15 matches and Lionel Messi will be hoping that he alongside Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets will be able to guide the team out of the dungeon they currently are in.
They commence their 2024 MLS journey, with a home league game against Saint Lake on Thursday, February 22, 2024.