Lionel Messi’s Week From Hell

Fewer folks might be happier for the Super Bowl than Lionel Messi, as his absence in an Inter Miami friendly in Hong Kong on Sunday has led to a week’s worth of bad press for the Argentine soccer icon in a country where he was formerly beloved. 

Messi had already disappointed fans after barely playing against Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, the current home of Cristiano Ronaldo, in a game billed as a “Last Dance”type event between the game’s two generational stars. Ronaldo sat out due to a muscle injury, while Messi came on as a late substitute. Then Inter Miami’s preseason tour went to Asia.  

A look at Messi’s mess of a week. 

Sunday: Messi is a late scratch against a local club, Hong Kong XI, in a sold-out event and gets heavily booed as he sits on the bench throughout the match. It’s later revealed he was looked at by team trainers and deemed too risky to play. Hong Kong’s government demands an answer from the game’s organizers about why Messi didn’t play. Fans don’t take the news lightly, either. 

Monday: Michel Lamunière, the chief executive of Tatler Asia, which organized the Inter Miami friendly, says the company will withdraw its application for $16 million in government grants for the event. 

Tuesday: Messi holds a press conference saying he had adductor discomfort Sunday as his reason for being unable to play, but he was feeling better and optimistic about playing in Japan on Wednesday.  

Wednesday: In the 60th minute against Vissel Kobe, Messi checks in and plays the final 30 minutes of the game in Tokyo. Messi’s website posts an apology to defuse the backlash minutes before the match starts. It doesn’t work. The IP address is discovered to be from China’s Sichuan province, which is thousands of miles from Tokyo. The cover-up remains undefeated against the crime. Fans call for Chinese companies that count Messi as endorsers to sever ties with him. 

Thursday: Messi’s decision to play in Japan shows the Hong Kong game was his lone absence on Inter Miami’s international tour. The Global Times of China writes that “the impact of this incident has far exceeded the realm of sports,” as fans begin to think Messi’s DNP was intentional. 

Friday: Hong Kong match organizer Tatler XFEST announces it will refund 50% of the ticket price for fans. The decision cost the company $7.1 million with roughly $5.5 million in losses. And The Athletic is now reporting that two upcoming Argentine friendlies that were slated to be played in China (against Nigeria and Ivory Coast) may be moved because of the whole brouhaha.