Lionel Messi booed by Hong Kong fans

Officials had hoped that the match would help enhance Hong Kong’s image as an attraction for international events amid a slow economic recovery, and Kevin Yeung, the city’s secretary for culture, sports and tourism, said government officials were told repeatedly that Messi would play. He was, officials added, contracted to play at least 45 minutes. The 36-year-old star, who led Argentina to a World Cup championship in 2022, has been dealing with the hamstring injury but started all three of his team’s preseason games before coming on in the 83rd minute Thursday in a 6-0 loss to Al Nassr in Riyadh.

Messi wasn’t the only star to miss the exhibition. Luis Suarez, the Uruguay striker who joined Inter in December, missed the match with a knee injury. Inter Manager Gerardo Martino apologized to fans, saying the decision was “made with our medical staff. If there was a way they could have played even a little while we would have done it, but there was too much risk involved.”

Yeung said officials learned that Messi’s injury would keep him from playing with 10 minutes left in the match. “We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy,” Yeung said in a news conference Monday. “Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out.”

Exhibition organizers had been awarded $2 million in funding by a government advisory committee and tickets, which cost up to $624 each, were eagerly snapped up when they went on sale in December. The government said Sunday night that it might reduce funds allocated for the event.

“The organizer [Tatler Asia] owes all football fans an explanation,” the government’s major sports events committee said in a statement, adding that it would “take follow-up actions with the organizer according to the terms and conditions, which includes reducing the amount of funding as a result of Messi not playing the match.”

Yeung said no money has been paid yet. “One of the key terms of our funding agreement with Tatler Asia was for Messi to participate in the match for at least 45 minutes, subject to fitness and safety considerations,” he said.

Tatler Asia said Sunday night that he had no advance warning that Messi or Suarez would be unavailable and expressed its “extreme disappointment.”

Inter Miami’s Asian tour ends Wednesday with a friendly against Vissel Kobe in Japan.