Lionel Messi and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham were booed on Sunday and angry fans demanded refunds after the Argentina superstar sat out the team’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.
The city government said organizers owed fans an explanation after the match, in which the visitors beat a Hong Kong XI 4-1.
The World Cup-winning captain, who has a hamstring strain, stayed rooted to the bench throughout.
That brought a show of anger from the near-capacity crowd of 38,323, who had paid upwards of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to see their hero, and in many cases five times that amount.
Halfway through the second half, chants of “We want Messi” rose around the Hong Kong Stadium from fans desperate to see the greatest player of his generation in the much-hyped exhibition game.
The booing became louder during the last 10 minutes when it became clear that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would not make even the briefest of cameos.
The jeers rose to a crescendo at the final whistle, and Beckham was drowned out by booing as he tried to thank the crowd for “their incredible support” while fans signalled their anger with thumbs-down gestures.
“I’m just really disappointed,” fan Jonathan Wong told AFP. “Everyone is here to see Messi, so I feel a bit cheated.
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