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Cliff Buddle

The final whistle confirming the non-appearance 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 non-event. 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 Organiser Tatler Asia has withdrawn a HK$16 million claim for government funding, offered fans a 50 per cent refund on their expensive tickets, and suffered a HK$43 million loss.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.
Conflicting account from Tatler Asia over Messi no-show in Hong Kong
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.
Hong Kong consumer watchdog urges Messi match organiser to expedite refunds
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 multimillion-dollar 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.


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Lionel Messi in Hong Kong

Hong Kong and Inter Miami were playing very different games

Inter Miami’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi at the National Stadium in Tokyo on February 7, 2024. Photo: AFP

Lionel Messi: as Hong Kong chases refunds, he plays 60 minutes for Inter Miami against Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys

Lionel Messi faces Newell’s Old Boys in Inter Miami’s last preseason match. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi gives a thumbs-up as he arrives for the match against Newell’s Old Boys. Photo: AP

Lionel Messi has only added to Beijing’s displeasure at Argentina

Lionel Messi on the bench during his match at the Hong Kong Stadium on February 4, 2024. Photo: Sam Tsang

Mainland Chinese sports authority says ‘no plans’ to host football matches involving Lionel Messi after he stays on bench for Hong Kong fixture

Inter Miami’s captain Lionel Messi speaks to the press before he turns out for the club in a friendly match in Tokyo, just days after he failed to play in Hong Kong because of injury. Photo: Handout

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi leaves a Vissel Kobe player floundering in his wake in a friendly game in Tokyo. Photo: Kyodo

Opinion

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


Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

My Take

Hong Kong and Inter Miami were playing very different games

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}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

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