The marriage of global football star Lionel Messi and MLS club Inter Miami is continuing along a bumpy road. Messi suffered injuries and inefficiency down the stretch last season, significantly diminishing an overwhelmingly positive first couple of months.
During a long 2024 preseason road trip that included stops in El Salvador and Saudi Arabia, Messi and teammate Luis Suarez missed last Sunday's match in Hong Kong because of injuries. The team faced an angry backlash from fans, some of whom demanded refunds for their tickets. Inter Miami beat Hong Kong XI 4-1.
Making matters worse, the coach of Inter Miami, Gerardo Martino, had said his prize star would "likely" play in Hong Kong. A large advertising campaign was built around the match, whose organiser is now said to be withdrawing $2 million in government grants for the event.
