Lionel Messi has broken his silence after stadium-goers tore down posters of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner following his no-show in a pre-season friendly for Inter Miami.
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Organisers of the Herons' friendly victory over a Hong Kong XI on the weekend were left disappointed when the Argentine did not play a single minute of the encounter.
Of the nearly 40 000 people who attended the match, many have reportedly requested refunds after buying expensive tickets for the event that was promoted using Messi's image.
Speaking ahead of Inter Miami's upcoming friendly against Japanese club Vissel Kobe, Messi explained that he felt unfit to play after experiencing discomfort in his groin.
"The truth is that I feel very good compared to a few days ago," he said, according to The Star.
"And depending on how that [training] goes. And if I'm honest, I still don't know if I will be able to or not. But I feel much better and I really want to be able to do it.
"The truth is that it was bad luck that I couldn't (play) on the day of the Hong Kong match.
"Unfortunately, in football, things can happen in any game, that we may have an injury. It's a shame because I always want to participate, I want to be there, and even more so when it comes to these games when we travel so far and people are so excited to see our matches."
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He also added that the "discomfort continued and it was very difficult for me to play".
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