Football has turned messy in Hong Kong. Last Sunday, the beleaguered Hong Kong Chinese Communist party was hoping for a public relations boost after Inter Miami agreed to play a friendly in the city against the Hong Kong Team. Instead, the game was overshadowed by a furious row after Miami footballer Lionel Messi failed to come out on the pitch because of a groin injury. The Hong Kong government reacted with outrage, and fans booed the players and demanded refunds. Three days later Messi was well enough to play in Japan, adding insult to injury in the eyes of the CCP.

The outcry has now spread to mainland China, with state media there accusing Messi and his club of ‘political motives’ aimed at ‘embarrassing’ Hong Kong. The Chinese Football Association has cut ties with the Argentinian Football Association in retaliation, and has reportedly removed all content related to Messi from its website. The Argentinian team will no longer play two international games in China either.

It seems like the furious reaction has only drawn attention to the Chinese government’s paranoia and fragility. It is perfectly normal for footballers to miss a match due to injury, and reports appear to confirm that Messi’s was genuine. The fact that he apologised for not playing suggests that he missed the match because........

© The Spectator