Argentina’s national team will now play two scheduled friendly matches in the United States instead of China after the communist nation cancelled the games as a result of Lionel Messi sitting out of a game in Hong Kong, according to Reuters.
Argentina was originally scheduled to play a friendly against Nigeria in the Chinese megacity Hangzhou before acting the Ivory Coast in Beijing, but Chinese authorities cancelled the game after they felt they were snubbed by Messi.
Messi sat out of a game between his Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and Hong Kong XI, an All-Star team of Hong Kong’s best players from their First Division League.
HONG KONG, CHINA – FEBRUARY 4: Lionel Messi of Inter Miami reacts during the preseason friendly match between Hong Kong Team and Inter Miami at Hong Kong Stadium on February 4, 2024 in Hong Kong, China. Fred Lee/Getty Images
Messi was deemed “unfit” to play in the friendly due to an inflamed adductor, he later claimed on social media, per Reuters.
But Chinese fans and officials were unsatisfied with that explanation, believing the fact that Messi played three days later in Japan proved he sat out of the game for political purposes. (RELATED: Ticket Prices Skyrocket 1,034% After Lionel Messi Commits To Inter Miami)
“In contrast to the friendly match held three days ago in Hong Kong, Argentine player Lionel Messi came off the bench and played for 30 minutes, demonstrating good physical condition. Thus, the match in Hong Kong became the only one in Messi’s six pre-season friendly matches on this trip where he was absent,” Chinese state media outlet Global Times said.
Messi’s absence “has magnified these doubts and suspicions on the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself,” Global Times claimed.
“The impact of this incident has far exceeded the realm of sports,” the outlet wrote.
Do the Chinese not know how injuries work?
Messi was hurt before the game. Then he wasn’t. The human body was designed to heal itself. What a revelation.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 21: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami reacts after a goal scored by teammate Robert Taylor #16 (not pictured) during the first half against Real Salt Lake at Chase Stadium on February 21, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
The backlash was uproarious, as over 40,000 excited Hong Kongians packed the stadium to see the 36-year-old Argentine star, with some fans paying over $600 for a ticket, per Reuters.
Messi took to China’s social media app Weibo to set the record state.
“I’ve heard people say that I didn’t want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue,” the superstar claimed in a video, according to Reuters. “Had that been the case I wouldn’t have even travelled 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.”
I totally get people being disappointed to not be able to see him play, but it’s a preseason friendly. Messi is under no obligation to play in it. Miami is spending a significant amount of money on the star and he owes it to them to be healthy for their games that actually matter, not a friendly against a bunch of scrubs that Miami beat handily without him anyway.
China getting butthurt at Messi insulting their national pride isn’t terribly surprising but it’s just so dumb. You’re pissed that Messi didn’t play in front of your fans so now you’re going to cancel two opportunities for him to play in front of your fans? Make it make sense!
Even Argentina, which was literally run by a military dictatorship in the 1970s and ’80s, said “screw this we’ll just play in the good ol’ US of A.”
In lieu of playing the Ivory Coast, Argentina will now play El Salvador in the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field, on March 22nd. The Nigeria game will then be played in the Los Angeles Coliseum on the 26th, per Reuters.
Come on down Lionel, America is happy to have you.