Lionel Messi will play for Inter Miami in Hong Kong ‘save for illness or injury’
- Organisers coy on deal being in place to ensure star is on the pitch for exhibition match but government source disputes claim
- ‘Marquee players’ will feature at Hong Kong Stadium in February – which could include Messi but also the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba
Organisers were on Thursday coy as to whether superstar Lionel Messi will grace the field when Inter Miami visit Hong Kong for an exhibition match next month, claiming there is no deal in place, despite local fans forking out thousands of dollars for tickets.
However a senior government source disputed this, saying there were “contract terms specifying that Messi would play in the match, save for illness or injury”. The organisers would have to fulfil the contract, the source added.
Priced HK$880 to HK$4,880 (US$113 to US$624), the seats sold out in under an hour then promptly began appearing on resale site Viagogo for up to HK$12,000 a pair.
But with the match forming part of a packed preseason tour by the Major League Soccer club, co-owned by David Beckham, there are doubts over the 36-year-old Messi featuring prominently.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to be the decision of the coach to decide who is going to play and for how long,” said Michel Lamuniere, chairman and CEO of the match’s organiser Tatler Asia.
