The Argentine national football team had planned to play two friendly matches in China next month against Nigeria and Ivory Coast, but due to Lionel Messi’s recent absence from a friendly match in Hong Kong, the Chinese sporting authorities canceled the matches.
Messi had failed to play for Inter Miami against a local League XI earlier this month due to an inflamed adductor.
This caused widespread anger among fans who had paid up to nearly HK$5,000 ($640) for a ticket to watch the match, and it subsequently led to the cancellation of the upcoming friendlies against Nigeria and Ivory Coast in China.
However, the Argentine Football Association (FA) has now announced that Lionel Scaloni’s side will play two friendlies in the United States instead.
On March 22, they will face El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and on March 26, they will take on Nigeria at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Despite Messi’s absence from the Hong Kong friendly, he did come off the bench to play in a friendly match in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe, which led to further backlash from Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians, and fans.
The 36-year-old forward’s absence from the Hong Kong match may have been due to an inflamed adductor, but it did not stop the criticism and controversy surrounding his absence.
Nonetheless, Messi has cleared the air by explaining his absence in a video posted on Weibo, which is one of China’s largest social media platforms.
