Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham was booed by about 40 000 people on the weekend after a certain decision regarding Lionel Messi was made.
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The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner was left on the sidelines on Sunday as the Herons beat a Hong Kong XI 4-1 in a pre-season friendly.
He, along with Luis Suarez, did not feature as Robert Taylor, Lawson Connery Sunderland, Leonardo Campana and Ryan Sailor all scored for the travelling MLS side.
It is claimed by Hong Kong Free Press that Messi's availability for the match was promoted ahead of the fixture, leading to jeers from the 40 000 that purchased match tickets.
Following the friendly, co-owner Beckham thanked supporters during an on-field post-match interview, but quickly discovered he was not the most popular man in the ground.
Miami co-owner David Beckham was drowned out by booing as he tried to thank the crowd "for their incredible support" while fans signalled their anger with thumbs-down gestures. https://t.co/l6Hctc8LuK pic.twitter.com/BZYj18KB6q
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) February 4, 2024
"On behalf of everybody involved in Inter Miami, our club, I would like to say thank you very much for the incredible welcome," he said.
"We have always loved... I have always loved Hong Kong. Thank you very much for the incredible welcome. And we look forward to coming back one day to entertain you even more.
"Thank you to the media. Thank you for everyone in the stadium that has turned up tonight and been here for us.
"It means a lot because to see these great players play inspires a lot of young children in this country and around the world.
"I hope one day we will be back to entertain you. Hong Kong, thank you very much. I will see you soon. Thank you."
Fans who were in attendance have reportedly demanded they be refunded after Messi did not play, while head coach Gerardo Martino explained he did not want to risk the Argentine.
"We understand a lot of fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness," he said.
"We wish we could have sent Leo and Luis on for at least a while but the risk was too big."
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