Lionel Messi apologises for Hong Kong no-show after Chinese backlash

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Lionel Messi has taken to social media to apologise to “mainland Chinese and Hong Kong football fans” after the Argentine star sat out a much-anticipated friendly fixture in Hong Kong.

Anger over the no-show spread to mainland social media, with some commenters suggesting the footballer, who took to the field in a fixture in Tokyo on Wednesday evening, preferred Japan to China.

Hong Kong’s government expressed its “extreme disappointment” after the star missed Sunday’s game against a local team, while members of the crowd, some of whom paid HK$4,880 ($620) for tickets, chanted “Refund!” when it became clear that the star wouldn’t appear. 

Messi and his team Inter Miami said the decision not to play was due to injury. His apology on Wednesday was quickly the top trend on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

“Hello to all fans and friends in mainland China and Hong Kong,” Messi said in a post published in Chinese and Spanish to his 8mn followers on Weibo.

“I regretted not being able to play in the friendly match in Hong Kong due to a groin injury . . . I hope that one day we will have the opportunity to come back and . . . also look forward to returning to the mainland as soon as possible.”

Messi’s apology followed an online backlash in mainland China. But many commentators were unconvinced, especially after the Argentine footballer took to the pitch in Tokyo in a fixture against Japanese side Vissel Kobe.

“You’re apologising at the same time as taking to the field. You’re acting like a two-faced person. Get out of here,” wrote one commentator, who like many also referred to Messi with an expletive. Other comments under a post in which Messi endorsed Chinese…