After disappointing many fans in Hong Kong by missing a friendly match, Argentine star Lionel Messi has opened the door to the possibility of participating in a friendly game his team, Inter Miami, will play in Tokyo, stating he has "improved significantly" compared to the past few days. The Argentine player remained on the bench during the highly anticipated match held at a packed Hong Kong stadium, which turned into a public relations crisis for the American league team and the event organizers.
In his first comments to the media after fans booed the team and co-owner David Beckham, Messi expressed his "disappointment" at not being able to play, noting that his absence was due to swelling in his adductor muscle. The 36-year-old player told a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo, "In Hong Kong, we had an open training session, and I participated as there were many fans (...) I wanted to be there and participate."
"However, the truth is that the pain was still there, and it was very difficult to play. I understand that people were looking forward to the match and hoped for another opportunity for me to play in Hong Kong."
However, the captain of Inter Miami, who led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup, did not reveal whether he would play in the friendly against Japan's Vissel Kobe on Wednesday. He stated, "As for tomorrow, I don't know. We will need to see how today's training goes. We still don’t know if I will be able to participate, but I feel much better compared to the past days, and I want to be able to play."
