In a significant development, China has decided to cancel both of Argentina’s scheduled friendly matches following growing anger over Lionel Messi’s absence from Inter Miami’s exhibition match in Hong Kong.
The Beijing Football Association announced on Saturday that they will not be hosting Argentina’s friendly against Ivory Coast in Beijing in March. “Beijing does not plan, for the moment, to organize the match in which Lionel Messi was to participate,” stated the association.
This decision follows the cancellation on Friday of the Hangzhou match, where Argentina was slated to play against Nigeria in another friendly encounter.
Originally scheduled last month, these two friendly matches for the world champions were part of Argentina’s planned visit to China during the international break from March 18th to 26th.
The abrupt cancellations stem from the fallout surrounding Messi’s absence from the Hong Kong exhibition match, where Inter Miami played against a local team last Sunday. Messi sidelined due to a groin injury, remained on the bench during the match, prompting angry reactions from fans who jeered at the Argentine player and Inter co-owner David Beckham. Some spectators even demanded refunds for their tickets.
As tensions rise over Messi’s no-show and its repercussions, the cancellation of Argentina’s friendly matches underscores the significant impact of sports controversies on international relations and scheduling.
