Lionel Messi and David Beckham faced boos from fans in Hong Kong on Sunday when Messi sat out of Inter Miami’s pre-season friendly due to injury. Despite a crowd of over 38,000 who paid a significant amount to see Messi play, he remained on the bench throughout the game, leading to disappointment and anger from the fans. This was a disappointing end to the days of “Messi mania” in Hong Kong, with fans expressing their frustration over the absence of the football superstar. Miami’s coach explained that the decision was made due to the risk of further injury to Messi, who is now in a race against time to be fit for the new MLS season. The Hong Kong government expressed their disappointment and hinted at withdrawing their funding for the event. Miami won the game 4-1, but the absence of Messi and other former Barcelona stars was a major letdown for the fans.