Argentina friendly in China canceled amid Messi mess
HONG KONG — An Argentina soccer friendly in China next month was canceled on Friday in more fallout from Lionel Messi failing to play in a club exhibition match in Hong Kong.
World Cup champion Argentina, captained by Messi, last month scheduled a tour of China during the international break from March 18-26. Games were lined up against Nigeria in Hangzhou and Ivory Coast in Beijing.
But Messi, on tour with his Inter Miami club, outraged fans in Hong Kong when he didn’t play against a local selection last Sunday and remained on the bench. Messi said he had a groin injury, but his excuse didn’t wash in Hong Kong after he played for 30 minutes on Wednesday in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe.
On Friday, the sports bureau in Hangzhou canceled the Argentina-Nigeria friendly.
“Because of the reasons known to all, we’ve learned from supervising authorities that the conditions are immature for the match to go forward. Now it’s been decided that the match will be canceled,” the Hangzhou Sports Bureau announced on its official social media account.
An Argentina Football Association official told the Associated Press it was aware the match was suspended and was looking for another venue to play Nigeria. The official spoke on condition of anonymity saying, “It’s a sensitive matter.”
Ivory Coast’s friendly with Argentina in Beijing was going ahead as planned, Ivory Coast team spokesperson Anne-Marie N’Guessan told the AP on Friday.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong organizers of the club friendly with Inter Miami said they will offer a 50 percent refund following days of backlash against Messi from angry fans and the city government.
Many social media users in mainland China expressed their disappointment over Messi’s no-show, with China’s state-run newspaper, the Global Times, publishing an editorial that said the impact of the controversy surrounding the soccer superstar “has far exceeded the realm of sports.”
In an Instagram post on Friday, local organizer Tatler Asia apologized to those who were disappointed by Messi’s absence and said it was upset by “the seeming lack of respect shown to the crowd.”
It reiterated it pleaded with Inter Miami management to urge Messi to explain to the spectators after it learned Messi, who was required to play for 45 minutes unless injured under their contract, would not be playing.
“He didn’t. The fact that Messi … played in Japan on February 7th feels like another slap in the face,” it said.
The organizers said they were in talks with the city government on how to resolve the issue and details of the refund arrangement would be announced by mid-March.
Tickets for the game cost up to $624 each.