BEIJING, China – Argentina’s upcoming friendlies in China against Nigeria and Ivory Coast may be relocated due to the ongoing controversy surrounding Lionel Messi’s absence during a recent visit to Hong Kong.
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) had planned for the national team to play in Hangzhou against Nigeria and in Beijing against Ivory Coast during the March FIFA window. However, the fallout from Messi’s failure to appear in Hong Kong has led to discussions about moving the matches to different venues.
A source within AFA revealed that official plans to cancel the games in China had not been made, and discussions are ongoing to potentially face the same opponents elsewhere. The political climate in China has turned against Messi following the controversy in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government expressed disappointment over Messi’s absence from a match against the Hong Kong XI, citing an adductor injury as the reason. However, Messi played 30 minutes in a match against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo shortly after, leading to criticism from the Hong Kong government.
Tatler Asia, the promoters of the match in Hong Kong, announced that fans who attended the Inter Miami match would be entitled to a 50% refund. Meanwhile, Inter Miami is set to play another friendly match against Messi’s childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, in Fort Lauderdale before the start of the MLS regular season.
The situation has raised concerns about the potential impact on Messi’s future engagements and on Argentina’s international matches, as the controversy continues to unfold. The AFA may need to make swift decisions regarding the relocation of the matches and mitigate any further fallout from the situation.