Fans Furious as Lionel Messi Benched in Shocking Pre-Season Upset; David Beckham Booed

Lionel Messi and David Beckham were met with boos and disappointment from fans as Messi, the Argentine superstar, was sidelined during Inter Miami’s pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. The absence of Messi, who is recovering from a hamstring strain, triggered frustration among the near-capacity crowd of 38,323 at the Hong Kong Stadium.

Chants of “We want Messi” echoed throughout the stadium as it became apparent that the football icon would not be taking the field. The dissatisfaction escalated during the final 10 minutes of the match, reaching a crescendo of boos by the time the final whistle blew. Even former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, who did play, found himself drowned out by the jeers as he attempted to express gratitude to the crowd.

Inter Miami co-owner Beckham also faced the brunt of the fans’ disappointment as he tried to acknowledge their support. The club clarified that the decision to sideline Messi and Suarez was made by the medical team following an assessment earlier that day.

Fans’ disappointment was compounded by Messi’s limited playing time in the previous match and his race to regain fitness ahead of the new MLS season, which kicks off on February 21. The absence of these two football icons marked a bitter conclusion to the “Messi mania” that had swept through Hong Kong in anticipation of the match.