Lionel Messi has released a video in which he has explained why he did not take part in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong with Inter Miami, for which he is still being widely criticised.
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Releasing a statement on Weibo, a Chinese-created social media platform, the 36-year-old finally addressed the backlash he has received for his Hong Kong no-show earlier this month.
While he has previously discussed the injury he says he had that forced him to miss the Herons' friendly encounter against a Hong Kong XI, Messi has responded to the rumours he chose not to play for political reasons, insisting he has a "special" bond with China.
"I've read and heard many things that have been said after the game in Hong Kong. I wanted to record this video and give you the true version so nobody has to continue reading false stories," he said, according to the Mirror.
"I've heard people say that I didn't want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue. If that was true, I wouldn't have even travelled to Japan or visited China, as I have many times. Since the start of my career, I've had a very close and special relationship with China.
"As I said in the press conference, I had an inflamed adductor and I couldn't play in the first game in Saudi Arabia, which is when I felt it.
"In the second game I tried to play for a bit, but it got worse. Then on the day before the game (in Hong Kong), I tried to train and made an effort for all those who had come to watch training.
"It felt a bit better a few days later and that's why I played for a bit in Japan to prepare fitness-wise for everything to come because I needed to play and get back up to speed."
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham was booed as he thanked the Hong Kong crowd following the friendly meeting at the start of the month, but that was only the beginning of the storm.
Organisers of the match have publicly sought answers after the MLS-based club promoted the event using Messi's image.
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Furious fans, who were believed to have spent a lot of money on tickets for the game, were also seen tearing down posters of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner post-match.
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