Outcry in Hong Kong continues after ’deceiving’ Lionel Messi plays in Japan

Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians and fans have cried foul after Lionel Messi played for Inter Miami on their pre-season tour in Japan, a few days after he stayed on the bench for a highly-anticipated match in Hong Kong. Many in Hong Kong were dismayed on Sunday when the 36-year-old World Cup winner did not come on to the field during a sold-out Inter Miami game, with fans demanding answers and a refund. Miami’s head coach Gerardo Martino said Messi was deemed unfit to play in Sunday’s match. The saga has dominated Chinese social media, with related conversations taking up half of the top 10 trending topics on Weibo in recent days with hundreds of millions of daily engagements. Subscribe to Guardian Football ► The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► Sign. upto the Guardian’s free new daily newsletter, First Edition ► Website ► Facebook ► Twitter ► Instagram ► The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► Guardian News ► Guardian Australia ► Guardian Sport ► Guardian Live ► #Messi #InterMiami #HongKong #China #News #Football