Messi apologizes to fans in China for his absence from the Hong Kong match. The controversy over not participating in a friendly unleashes the fury of the fans of the Asian giant.

“I know you like Japan, but you are not welcome in China, so don't come back,” a Weibo user responds to Messi's message. Messi is expected to return to China in March, to play two new friendly matches with the Argentina team in the city of Hangzhou, and again in Beijing.