In recent days, a David Beckham meme from the Netflix Beckham documentary has taken social media by storm. However, amidst the popularity of this meme, an unfortunate incident occurred during a match involving Beckham's co-owned team, Inter Miami, which has sparked the need for an update to the meme. During a global pre-season tour, Inter Miami played against a Hong Kong select team in a match that ended with a 4-1 victory for the MLS side. While the outcome on the field seemed satisfactory, a major public relations disaster unfolded, leaving fans, sponsors, and the Hong Kong government feeling betrayed by the team.
The root cause of this PR disaster lies in the absence of star player Lionel Messi, who never took to the field during the match. Nearly 40,000 passionate Hong Kong fans had eagerly attended the match, with many spending significant sums ranging from $112 to $570 for a ticket. They were overwhelmingly there to witness Messi's skill and presence in the game. As the clock ticked, and it became apparent that Messi would not be playing, boos and demands for refunds began to echo throughout the Hong Kong Stadium even before the final whistle. To compound matters, when Beckham himself took the field, the boos intensified, surprising many as Beckham generally enjoys popularity in Asia.
