After raising fans' confusion about his participation, Argentine star Lionel Messi came on in the 60th minute of the friendly match between Inter Miami and Vissel Kobe on Wednesday in Tokyo. Messi (36 years old) had disappointed a large number of fans in Hong Kong by missing a previous friendly match, remaining on the bench in a packed Hong Kong stadium last Sunday, which became a public relations crisis for the US team and the event organizers, with fans demanding answers and refunds.
Vissel Kobe won the match today 4-3 in penalties after a scoreless draw, and Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, did not participate in the penalties. The match held in Hong Kong saw an attendance of 40,000 fans, with ticket prices reaching about five thousand Hong Kong dollars (640 US dollars). In Tokyo, entire sections of the Japan National Stadium remained empty, with only 28,614 tickets sold.
A fan named Tweety, who watched the Hong Kong match on television, told Reuters on Wednesday: "I felt comfortable watching the live broadcast when he started warming up." He added that he was "happy when Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and all the main players were in the match, Messi really has a greater love for the Japanese fans, playing for 30 minutes."
Fans in Hong Kong commented on Inter Miami's live YouTube broadcast with repeated demands for "refunds" and joked, "Arrest Messi under national security law." There were periods of silence during the match, which lacked excitement between the Japanese league champion and Inter Miami. The crowd cheered when Messi began his warm-up shortly after the start of the second half, and his face appeared on the stadium's big screen.
