Lionel Messi misses friendly in Hong Kong, angry fans ask for refund. Watch

The second half of the match saw chants of "we want Messi" from fans inside the venue, but it was to no avail as the forward was not given game time in the friendly.

Fans in Hong Kong were left seething and demanded for a refund after Major League Soccer club Inter Miami neither included star forward Lionel Messi in the starting XI nor used him as a substitute in a pre-season friendly match at the Hong Kong stadium.

As many as 38,323 fans, each of whom had paid 1,000 Hong Kong dollars, turned up to watch the friendly in the hope of getting to see the 36-year-old Argentinian but were left disappointed after Inter Miami left Messi, who had a hamstring injury, on the bench.

The second half of the match saw chants of "we want Messi" from fans inside the venue, but it was to no avail as the forward was not given game time in the friendly.

#NOW: Chants of a “refund” as football superstars Lionel Messi and Luiz Suarez fail to make an appearance on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/pJxpjKxF6a

— Jay Ganglani (@GanglaniJay) February 4, 2024

#NOW: David Beckham gets booed at the Hong Kong Stadium. pic.twitter.com/xbkt1BfbOf

— Jay Ganglani (@GanglaniJay) February 4, 2024

"We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy. Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out," Yeung said. Inter Miami won the friendly 4-1.