Lionel Messi's absence during a friendly match in Hong Kong triggers an outcry in China. Fans had paid up to 4,800 Hong Kong dollars (570 euros) to see Messi.
Hong Kong government's top adviser Regina Ip said Messi should "never be allowed to return" In mainland China, the influential Global Times newspaper suggested that the Argentine star wanted to damage the reputation of the archipelago. The Inter Miami tour turned into a fiasco with a catastrophic balance sheet: 1 victory in 7 matches and more than 48,000 kilometers traveled.