Football legend Lionel Messi recently took to Weibo, one of China’s largest social media platforms, to address the controversy surrounding his absence from a recent Inter Miami friendly in Hong Kong.
The 36-year-old Argentine forward’s non-appearance drew criticism from Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians, and fans, who were outraged when Messi came off the bench three days later in a friendly match in Tokyo.
The fallout from the incident has continued, with Hangzhou and Beijing announcing that they will not host the Argentina games scheduled for March.
In light of this, Messi has spoken out in an attempt to clear the air and resolve the situation.
In his video message posted on Weibo, he sought to dispel rumors and false stories about his non-appearance.
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Messi denied allegations that he refused to play for political reasons or any other reason, stating that such claims were completely untrue.
He emphasized his long-standing and special relationship with China, which he has visited several times throughout his career.
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Messi went on to explain the reason for his absence from the highly-anticipated game against a local League XI in Hong Kong on Feb. 4.
He stated that he had an inflamed adductor, which had prevented him from playing in the first game in Saudi Arabia, where he first felt the injury.
Although he tried to play in the second game, the injury had worsened.
The day before the game in Hong Kong, Messi attempted to train but was unable to do so due to the injury.
Messi acknowledged that he had made an effort to train for all those who had come to watch him, but the injury had prevented him from playing.
He added that he played for a bit in Japan to prepare fitness-wise for the games to come, as he needed to play and get back up to speed.
Overall, Messi’s message sought to clarify the situation and dispel any rumors or false stories surrounding his absence from the Hong Kong game.
