Hong Kong and Inter Miami were playing very different games

For the city, this was a mega event, a chance to show the world it was back. For Messi and teammates, it was just another preseason match

The final whistle confirming the nonappearance of Lionel Messi in his team’s highly-anticipated match in Hong Kong has long since blown. But extra time will be needed to learn lessons from this mega nonevent. Cheers turned to boos when it dawned on the almost 40,000 fans attending that their Argentinian idol would not even be making a cameo appearance.

An extraordinary backlash has followed. Organiser Tatler Asia has withdrawn a HK$16 million claim for government funding, offered fans a 50 per cent refund on their expensive tickets, and suffered a HK$43 million loss.

Meanwhile, fans have vented their anger, targeting Messi and his team. Amid the furore, Argentina’s friendly matches in mainland China, scheduled for next month, have been cancelled.

Now that the dust is settling, there should be time for calm reflection.

It was evident, even before Messi arrived in Hong Kong, there was a chance he would not play. Inter Miami’s punishing preseason schedule included four games in three countries within 10 days. When the star picked up an injury in Saudi Arabia, alarm bells should have been ringing. Fans might have noticed he ducked out of key routines in the open training session in Hong Kong the day before the match.

But Messi was named in the pregame team sheet and sat on the bench during the game, albeit without his boots. Questions remained about who knew what and when.

Inter Miami say they left the decision on whether he could play as late as possible. Medical staff ultimately considered his groin injury to be too much of a risk.

Messi played in Japan three days later. But it is not unusual for footballers to be fit to train one day, not able to play the next, and fit again later in the week. They are constantly assessed.

Messi’s sulky demeanour, along with his failure to play, drew the ire of Hong Kong people.

He looked thoroughly fed-up, skipped the trophy presentation and did not even pose for pictures with disappointed Hong Kong players.

A charitable view would be that his downbeat demeanour was consistent with a player who has had to sit out the match. Even so, he could have been more sensitive to the feelings of his hosts.

Why would Messi want to snub Hong Kong? There have been predictable but far-fetched suggestions it was all part of a plot by “foreign forces” to undermine the city. If Inter Miami wanted to make a political point they would simply not have visited. Making a late call not to risk an injured star would be a strange way to go about it.

The heart of the problem lies in the competing priorities for Inter Miami and Hong Kong. For the city, this was a mega event, an opportunity to show the world it was back after the pandemic and to lay a platform for future big occasions. The presence of local officials and celebrities pointed to its exalted status. For fans, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see their hero play. The excitement generated was understandable.

But for Inter Miami it was just another preseason game and far from the most competitive. The priority would have been to ensure Messi is fit for this week’s season opener.

These different interests must be reconciled if similar matches are to be played in Hong Kong. Inter Miami was happy to pocket a multimilliondollar fee. The club must have been aware expectations in Hong Kong would be high and that, for many fans, it was all about seeing Messi play. His appearance could not be guaranteed and that should have been clearly communicated. More could have been done to give disappointed fans a better experience.

But there are lessons for Hong Kong, too. Organisers of mega events need to have the relevant expertise and experience. They should not promise more than they can deliver. The fact that Hong Kong Football Association Chief Pui Kwan-kay had earlier turned Inter Miami down, balking at the “sky high” fee, should have raised a red flag.

Hong Kong can provide an ideal setting for international events. Many are in the pipeline. But the city’s reputation depends on making sure they live up to their “mega” billing and do not become own goals.

More could have been done to give disappointed fans a better experience