According to Hong Kong media reports, the "football king" Messi attended a press conference in Japan today (6th), talking about not being able to play in the Hong Kong exhibition game, and expressed his hope that he would have the opportunity to play in Hong Kong in the future.
Miami International played a friendly match with the Hong Kong team at the Hong Kong Stadium on February 4, and the well-known star Messi, who attracted the attention of fans, did not appear, sat on the bench throughout the game, and refused to accept the award after the game, causing dissatisfaction among fans.
On the evening of February 6, Messi arrived in Tokyo, Japan, the next stop of his Asian tour, with Miami International. Upon arrival, Messi greeted the welcoming fans with a smile.
According to the arrangement, on February 7, Inter Miami will play against J-League side Vissel Kobe. In the official promotional video, Messi appeared on camera and said that he was "very happy to be in Tokyo for this match". According to the published tickets for the Miami International Tour to Japan, the ticket price for this game is between RMB 241 and 2,173, while the ticket for the Hong Kong Tour is more expensive, reaching RMB 809-4,488.
The coach explained the reason why Messi did not play:
He has inflammation in his muscles and I hope the fans will understand
After the game, Miami International head coach Martino explained: "Messi has muscle inflammation, I hope the fans will understand", so he made the decision not to play on the morning of February 4.
However, such statements clearly contradict the statements made by the organizers and the Hong Kong SAR government on February 5, and neither Inter Miami nor Messi informed the public of the news after the decision not to play.
However, the Argentine media said that Messi was in good physical condition, but coach Martino did not want Messi to be at risk of injury, so Messi was on the bench for this game.
Source: @大湾区之声, Jimu News