Lionel Messi reacts to missing pre-season friendly in Hong Kong: 'It was a shame'

Lionel Messi hoped that he could return to the country one day and play in front of a large crowd at the Hong Kong stadium.

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has said that "it was a shame" that he could not play in the pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on Sunday and hoped to return to the country and play in the future.

Speaking at a press conference, the 36-year-old said that these things can happen in sport and injuries can sometimes force players to sit out of matches. "I couldn’t play in the Hong Kong match, and it was a shame because I always wanted to participate, I wanted to be there and even more so when it came to these matches," Messi said.

"Unfortunately in football things can happen in any game, that we may have an injury. It happened to me," he added.

The 2022 World Cup winner hoped that he could return to the country and play at the Hong Kong stadium, one day.

"When we travelled so far and people were so excited to see our matches. I hope we can return and we play another game and I can play as I do whenever I can. But the truth is that it is a game that I was not able to participate," the 36-year-old said.

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 Messi but were left disappointed after Inter Miami left the forward, who had a hamstring injury, on the bench and did not give game time right through the match.

The angry fans inside the stadium asked for a refund and the second half also saw  chants of "we want Messi" inside the venue.