World-renowned soccer star Lionel Messi Inter Miami bowed his head about not being able to play in the Hong Kong pre-season tour game.
In a press conference ahead of his pre-season tour in Japan on the 6th, Messi apologized for the no-show, saying, "I hope I have a chance to play in Hong Kong again."
Inter Miami U.S., Messi's team, played a pre-season game against the Hong Kong All-Star team at Hong Kong Stadium on the 4th. Messi did not play in the match, which Miami won 4-1.
Fans who visited the stadium to see Messi were angry. Many fans cheered by wearing Messi's national team uniform for Argentina or Miami uniform with Messi's name on it.
In the second half of the game, boos erupted all over the stadium when Messi's absence was certain.
The host company put Messi at the forefront as they promoted the game, but they could not see him performing as if he were the "main character." Messi and Miami continued to receive criticism from their fans on their social networking sites.
"It was unfortunate that I was not able to play. I had physical discomfort," Messi said in response. "This is common in soccer. However, it is sad to think that many people had fun expecting our game. As much as I wanted to play in Hong Kong, I regret it. I hope I have a chance to play in Hong Kong again."
Miami will hold a friendly match with Vissel Kobe at Tokyo National Stadium on Wednesday. Attention is focusing on whether Messi will play or not. 안전 토토사이트
