Football legend Lionel Messi takes aim at ‘false stories’ about Hong Kong no-show, dismisses rumours decision involved politics
- Soccer player posts two-minute video on Weibo offering further explanation on why he sat out match in Hong Kong earlier this month
- ‘I’ve heard people say that I didn’t want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue,’ he says
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Football legend Lionel Messi denies Hong Kong sit-out was politically motivated
In a two-minute video released on the mainland Chinese social media platform Weibo at 9pm on Monday, Messi said he wanted to explain why he decided against joining his Inter Miami teammates on the pitch for the friendly against a local team on February 4.
The clip has attracted more than 41 million views as of Tuesday afternoon.
“I have read and heard many things that were said after the game in Hong Kong,” he said. “I wanted to record this video and give you the true version so that no one has to continue reading false stories.
“As you all know, I always want to play and be involved in every game. I’ve heard people say that I didn’t want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue. Had that been the case, I wouldn’t have even travelled to Japan or visited China as many times as I have.”
The match, organised by Tatler Asia, was shaping up to be one of the city’s biggest sporting events of the year, but Messi sat out the game, leaving tens of thousands of fans in the packed Hong Kong Stadium outraged and confused. He later cited thigh muscle inflammation as the reason he could not play, but took to the field just days after for a match in Japan.
