Inter Miami cruises past Hong Kong XI 4-1 despite missing injured Messi
Lionel Messi has remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes as Inter Miami defeated a Hong Kong XI 4-1 in the latest stop on the MLS team’s preseason Asian tour
HONG KONG (AP) — Lionel Messi stayed on the bench for the full 90 minutes on Sunday as Inter Miami defeated a Hong Kong XI 4-1 in the latest stop on the MLS team’s preseason Asian tour.
While the Argentine’s non-appearance was a disappointment for the fans who snapped up all 40,000 tickets at Hong Kong Stadium within an hour when they went on sale in December, it was a better performance for Miami after a 6-0 thrashing by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr in Riyadh on Thursday.
Messi played the final seven minutes of the losing effort but a tight hamstring kept the eight-time Ballon D’or winner on the sidelines in Hong Kong along with Uruguayan forward and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez.
The fans who filled the same arena a day earlier at least saw the 2022 World Cup winner in an open training session along with Miami co-owner David Beckham.
