Lionel Messi upset China by remaining on the bench during a friendly match between his club Inter Miami and Hong Kong on February 4. The Argentine striker did not address the Chinese fans, outraged by his absence.
Three days later, on Wednesday February 7, Messi came into play against the Japanese club Vissel Kobe. For many Chinese, the star's participation in this friendly match represents a position taken within the framework of the political, economic and ideological rivalry between China and Japan. "One theory is that (Messi's) actions are politically motivated, as Hong Kong wanted to stimulate the economy through this event and external forces deliberately wanted to humiliate Hong Kong with this incident," an advisor to the Chinese government said.