Lionel Messi fans who were left seething after the star skipped a match in Hong Kong at the last minute will get half their ticket money refunded, the organiser has said, on the condition they do not pursue legal action.
The Inter Miami player, 36, explained after the match that he had been unable to play in the friendly against Hong Kong League XI due to a ‘swollen and painful’ groin injury.
Fans, who paid up to £500 (HK$4,880) for the chance to see him, said they felt ‘cheated’ by the no-show after Messi was heavily featured in the promotion for the game.
Furious spectators booed Messi’s teammates off the pitch and a campaign of abuse began online, while the government demanded an explanation from organiser Tatler Asia.
The company is now offering 40,000 fans who filled the stadium on February 4 the chance to apply for a 50 per cent refund if they bought their tickets through official channels.
Lionel Messi has been called a ‘thief’ by angry Chinese football fans after he sat out of a match in Hong Kong
Fans booed players off the pitch after not seeing Inter Miami’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi play on February 4, 2024
A damaged paper model of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi during the friendly soccer match between Hong Kong Team and US Inter Miami CF
Tatler Asia said after the game that it was only notified that Messi would not be playing at halftime, and said they ‘immediately’ told the government about the news.
Authorities then asked Messi to ‘explore other remedies’ which might placate fans, the BBC reports, such as appearing on the field, but this proved unsuccessful.
Inter Miami president David Beckham was also booed by the angry fans over his star player sitting out of the match, which the US side won 4-1.
Fans’ fury grew even greater when Messi then played in the second half of Inter Miami’s friendly against Vissel Kobe, which was held in Japan.
Chinese media has since accused the footballer of avoiding the match due to ‘political motives’, suggesting he aimed to ’embarrass’ Hong Kong.
Disappointed matchgoers have said they are no longer fans of Messi after the no-show, which has stirred anger among many across society.
Senior government adviser Regina Ip said on X at the time: ‘Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter-Miami, and the black hand behind them, for the deliberate and calculated snub to Hong Kong.
Inter Miami president David Beckham was booed by the furious fans after Messi sat out
Inter Miami president David Beckham was also booed by the angry fans over his star player sitting out of the match, which the US side won 4-1
The Argentinian has been bombarded with angry messages online, including taunts about the Falklands War.
Liao Ke, one of the fans who received the partial refund, said that while it was ‘great’ to get some money back, he is not totally satisfied.
‘I can only say this is a remedial measure to calm the fans’ emotions a little. What’s really disappointing is that Messi didn’t play as promised,’ the 24-year-old told SCMP.
He added that he is no longer a fan of the football star, and said that the refund is unlikely to be enough for fellow football fans.
‘I travelled from Shenzhen to Hong Kong for the game so the expense was manageable. Imagine those people who travelled all the way from other parts of mainland China…’ he said. ‘Is it really enough to just refund half of the ticket?’
Hong Kong’s government demanded and explanation for Messi’s absence, writing in a statement at the time that it was ‘extremely disappointed about the organisers’ arrangement. The organisers owe all football fans an explanation.’
Amid the anguish from ticket buyers and the government, Tatler Asia agreed to the partial refund.
It has also withdrawn its application for HK$16 million (around £1.6million) in taxpayer dollars for putting on the event.
