Messi mania hits Hong Kong
HONG KONG: Tens of thousands of football fans turned out to see Lionel Messi train with his Inter Miami teammates in Hong Kong on Saturday, as “Messi mania” took hold of the city.
Police closed off streets around the Hong Kong Stadium as fans flocked to catch sight of the Argentina superstar, the greatest player of his generation, ahead of a match on Sunday.
Hours before Inter Miami strode onto the pitch for an open training session, expectant fans were forming long queues outside the 40,000-capacity venue, chanting the World Cup-winning captain’s name.
The Major League Soccer club is co-owned by David Beckham, who also put in an appearance to huge roars from an almost full house.
But the roof was nearly blown off a few minutes later by the ovation the 36-year-old Messi received as he emerged to join his teammates on the pitch for a gentle workout.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner spent much of the hour-long session doing stretches as he protected a niggling hamstring injury, though he did join 80 lucky Hong Kong schoolchildren for a kickabout during a coaching clinic that followed.
Soon after, Beckham took charge of teaching the kids some skills.
But it was Messi that the thousands of fans had mainly come to see, ahead of a friendly against a Hong Kong Select XI on Sunday.
“It’s the first time in my life I see Messi,” said 17-year-old Chinese student Li Weiyi, who had travelled from Shenzhen, across the border in mainland China.
“I am feeling very excited. He means a lot to me. He brought me to the football world, he made me love football.” AFP