Leo Messi (Inter Miami) expected to play at least 45 minutes in Hong Kong

Organizers of Inter Miami’s friendly match in Hong Kong on Sunday promised Lionel Messi would play at least 45 minutes, according to Hong Kong’s sports minister, after the superstar’s absence sparked outrage in Argentina. The Argentina captain, who is officially suffering from a hamstring strain, played the entire duration of the friendly in a 4-1 win against the Hong Kong selection.

Negotiations during the match

The Hong Kong government issued two consecutive statements on Sunday evening calling itself ” Extremely disappointed

» and threatened to withdraw 1.9 million euros in public funding from the event’s organizer, Tatler Asia, a media outlet specializing in luxury fashion and lifestyle. ” One of the key conditions of our funding agreement with Tatler Asia was that Messi should play at least 45 minutes in matches, keeping fitness and safety in mind. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung said at a press conference on Monday. ” Yesterday (Sunday), before the start of the match, organizer Tatler Asia reiterated that Messi will play in the second half. “, he explained.

Yeung, who attended the match at the stadium with other officials including Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, said the local government tried to negotiate with the organizer when the 36-year-old did not appear on the field in the second half. Halftime negotiations reached an impasse ten minutes before the end of the match, as ” solve

» As Messi was denied an appearance on the pitch to interact with the fans and receive the trophy. The minister added that the Hong Kong government will decide whether to withdraw the planned financial support after reviewing the facts with the event organizer.