Argentina’s tour canceled by China after Lionel Messi fails to show up

The fallout from Lionel Messi’s decision not to play in a club exhibition match in Hong Kong has led to the cancellation of Argentina’s friendly matches in mainland China next month. The Beijing Football Association announced that it will not organize Argentina’s game against Ivory Coast in Beijing due to Messi’s absence. This news comes after Chinese sports authorities also canceled a scheduled match against Nigeria.
Messi, who is the captain of Argentina’s national team and also plays for the MLS club Inter Miami, faced backlash from fans in Hong Kong when he did not play in a recent match due to a groin injury. However, his excuse was questioned when he played for 30 minutes in a game against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo.
Argentina had scheduled a tour of China during the international break from March 18-26 with games planned against Nigeria in Hangzhou and Ivory Coast in Beijing. The cancellations of these matches highlight the impact of Messi’s absence and the disappointment of fans and football authorities.
As one of the greatest footballers of all time, Messi’s actions and decisions have reverberations in the sports world. The incident in Hong Kong has brought attention not only to his performance on the field, but also to the impact of his absence on scheduled matches and plans for future games.

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