After backlash from Chinese and Hong Kong public opinion about his absence from the friendly match in Hong Kong, superstar Lionel Messi posted a video on his personal page X to explain the reason.

According to Messi, he did not play in Hong Kong due to myositis. He denied speculation that the reason for his absence was due to political issues.

Messi is facing a wave of anger from Hong Kong and Chinese fans

Messi affirmed that he has a special and close relationship with China. He shared that the day before the match, he tried to practice to respond to the fans’ support.

However, Messi’s explanation does not seem to appease Chinese public opinion. Many fans expressed their anger and harsh criticism of the Argentine superstar on social networking sites.

Many fans also believe that Messi spoke up too slowly, causing the wave of boycotting him to grow. Playing in Japan just 3 days after being absent from Hong Kong further worsened Messi’s image in the eyes of Chinese fans.