David Beckham is BOOED and 40,000 angry fans chant ‘refund’ after Lionel Messi was left on the bench during Inter Miami’s pre-season win over a Hong Kong XI
- Fans in Hong Kong were furious after they were denied the chance to watch Messi
- The Argentinian was injured and remained on the bench for the entire match
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Furious fans in Hong Kong booed David Beckham and demanded a refund after paying for tickets to see Lionel Messi, only for the Inter Miami star to be left on the bench.
Beckham, the president and co-owner of the American Football franchise, greeted the 40,000-strong crowd after the match and thanked them for their “incredible welcome.”
But Manchester United and England were roundly booed during his speech after fans paid as much as $300 (£240) for a glimpse of Mess in action.
There was always a chance he wouldn’t perform, but fans bought all 40,000 tickets at the Hong Kong Stadium within an hour when they went on sale in December.
It was reportedly made clear to fans when they purchased tickets that there would be no refunds if Messi did not play.
David Beckham was booed by fans in Hong Kong after Lionel Messi did not play for Inter Miami
A tight hamstring kept the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on the sidelines with Luis Suarez
Fans had paid huge sums to see Messi in action, but on Sunday they were denied the chance
A tight hamstring kept the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on the sidelines in Hong Kong, along with Uruguayan striker and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez.
Messi played the final seven minutes of their defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr team in Saudi Arabia on Thursday after reports emerged before the match that he had undergone an MRI scan for a suspected injury.
Messi was advertised in the build-up to the match and when tickets went on sale.
One fan admitted she “felt like a fool” after her partner paid $280 each to go to the game.
“I’ve waited almost ten years to see him,” Total Ling Pak-to said. “This is a rare opportunity to see him as he may be retiring soon. We are very disappointed.’
Another fan, who earned $460, was also furious. Antony Osazee said: “I came for training and just saw him doing stretching exercises. Messi is not a supermodel. People don’t pay just to see him sitting there.’
Local fans couldn’t hide their frustration after paying a whopping $460 to watch Messi play
Messi took part in training the day before despite suffering a hamstring injury in Saudi Arabia
In any case, the fans who filled the same arena a day earlier saw the 2022 World Cup winner in an open training session together with Miami co-owner David Beckham.
Despite Messi’s absence, Inter Miami performed better after a 6-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr in Riyadh on Thursday.
Robert Taylor opened the scoring for Miami five minutes before halftime with a curling shot from the corner of the penalty area.
Henri Anier quickly leveled for the hosts, led by national coach Jorn Andersen.
Lawson Sunderland restored Miami’s lead early in the second half and then provided the assist for Leonardo Campana on 56 minutes to make it 3-1.
Ryan Sailor headed a fourth five minutes before the end. Miami wraps up its Asian tour in Japan with Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.
More to follow.
