Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham and Lionel Messi were booed by angry fans at Hong Kong’s National Stadium after the Argentine superstar sat out the Major League Soccer club’s friendly against Hong Kong XI. The fans were left increasingly frustrated as Messi did not feature in the fans. Angry fans demanded a refund of the ticket prices too.
The stadium was packed with more than 38,000 fans waiting to see Messi, with some fans spending more than £200 on a single ticket.
However, frustration quickly set in as Lionel Messi was left on the bench for the first half of the match. As the game went on, fans chanted “Messi! Messi!” throughout the stadium, but in the last 10 minutes of the match, the cheers turned to boos as it became clear that the Argentine superstar would not be making the starting lineup.
Beckham addressed the hostile crowd, expressing gratitude for their welcome. However, the sound of jeers and requests for refunds from frustrated fans drowned out his words.
While the fans were unhappy, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino said that the decision to sit Messi and Luis Suarez was made to preserve their physical health.
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