Lionel Messi returned to action for Inter Miami on Wednesday against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo, but Chinese supporters are still furious that he did not play in Sunday’s game in Hong Kong.
Moments before taking the field, Messi issued another statement on his verified Chinese social media account Weibo, expressing sadness for being unable to compete in Sunday’s encounter.
“Good day to all my followers in mainland China and Hong Kong! As I stated in the press conference, it was a genuine shame that I was unable to participate in Hong Kong the other day owing to a swollen groin injury that was causing me discomfort,” the post read.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play, and I always want to give my all in any game. And especially in these games, where we travel so far and supporters are thrilled to see us attend the game in good health.”
Messi has stated that he hopes to return to Hong Kong and mainland China in the future.
However, the message included an IP address – a Weibo requirement – indicating that it was posted from Sichuan, China.
“Yes, we are so easy to be fooled,” one Weibo user responded, while another remarked, “This is not sincere at all.”
The message on Weibo is currently a top trending subject on the Chinese social media platform, with over 50,000 responses, many of which show more outrage and disgust with Messi.
Messi replaced David Ruiz in the second half of Wednesday’s game against Vissel Kobe.
The match finished 0-0, and Messi did not take a penalty kick as Miami lost the penalty shootout 4-3.
Speaking to media ahead of the match in Tokyo, Messi expressed disappointment for not being able to participate in Hong Kong due to a hip abductor issue, but said he was feeling “much better” ahead of the next leg of Miami’s preseason tour in Japan.
Fans in Hong Kong booed and demanded ticket refunds owing to Messi’s absence from Sunday’s game, and even the Hong Kong government expressed disappointment that the striker did not play.
Luis Suárez, Messi’s former Barcelona colleague, suffered an injury in Hong Kong but played 75 minutes for Miami against Vissel Kobe.
