Lionel Messi's recent absences from scheduled soccer matches, including games in Hong Kong and Washington D.C., as well as a game against El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field, have sparked widespread discussion and some discontent among fans. Messi, who has been brought to the U.S. with the aim of promoting soccer, cited a hamstring strain for missing these matches. His no-show in Hong Kong led to fans being offered a 50% ticket refund by May, as announced by the match organizer, Tatler Asia, with a deadline to accept by April 12. Despite the disappointment, a Washington Post columnist noted that the world continued despite Messi's absence from the D.C. game, indicating a less perturbed reaction compared to his Hong Kong no-show. Additionally, Argentina's national team announced Messi would miss the game against El Salvador due to a hamstring strain.
Messi fans can seek refunds without dropping complaints to Hong Kong watchdog https://t.co/7zant9vZps
Soccer fans hoping to see Lionel Messi play for Argentina against El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday had their hopes dashed. Argentina’s national team announced that Messi is out of that game due to a hamstring strain he suffered recently. https://t.co/7BqjeiZpJa
Soccer fans, who watched the exhibition match in Hong Kong on Feb. 4 in which Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi failed to play, will have until April 12 to accept a 50% refund on their tickets, the organizer of the match Tatler Asia said on Monday. https://t.co/iBrZtmtHEh
Fans to get 50% ticket refund for Messi’s Hong Kong no-show by May: organiser https://t.co/I3gIf8YsTD
Messi, citing injury, skips D.C. game. The reaction is slightly less perturbed than after his no-show in Hong Kong. "Somehow, the world still kept spinning," Wapost columnist writes. https://t.co/N2ssW6T6hj
“The whole idea of bringing Messi to the U.S. is to make soccer bigger. This is not really the way of doing it — charging people so much money for the idea that he’s gonna play, but then being disappointed when he doesn’t.” On Messi, MLS and money: https://t.co/SXQYiUAEdF