Lionel Messi loudly booed by Hong Kong crowd for sitting out Inter Miami match

Dan Treacy

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Lionel Messi loudly booed by Hong Kong crowd for sitting out Inter Miami match image

It's not cheap to see Lionel Messi play, particularly after his legend grew during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It's evidently not cheap to see him stand on the sidelines, either.

Fans in Hong Kong who paid to see Messi and Inter Miami play a friendly match against Hong Kong XI all-stars on Sunday did get to see the legend, but they didn't see him action. 

Messi and teammate Luis Suarez showed up in street clothes, and the crowd was less than thrilled. Messi and Suarez were loudly booed, as was club president David Beckham when he appeared on screen in front of the 40,000 at Hong Kong Stadium.

Messi sat out with a hamstring strain, while Suarez was dealing with a knee injury. Inter Miami was without Messi for nearly its entire match against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr earlier in the week, as the 36-year-old didn't sub in until the 83rd minute. 

MORE: Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 World Cup?

The injury concerns surrounding Messi didn't stop the fans from unleashing "refund" chants after spending heavily on tickets. 

One fan was even caught on video decapitating a cardboard cutout of Messi surrounded by his Inter Miami teammates.

While NBA fans might have this kind of experience regularly, Hong Kong's government didn't take Messi's decision lightly. Hong Kong's Major Sports Event Committee said the government was "extremely disappointed" in the decision not to play Messi and indicated funding would be reduced for the event as a result. The government provided $1.92 million for the match.

Messi and Inter Miami head to Japan for a friendly against Japanese champions Vissel Kobe on Thursday, but it isn't known whether the icon plans to sit out again. 

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.