Sporting officials in Hangzhou announced Friday that they would cancel a friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria in the Chinese city next month, days after soccer star Lionel Messi sat out a highly anticipated match in Hong Kong because of injury – only to play in Tokyo days later.
The Inter Miami player has faced intense backlash from Chinese authorities and fans who complained about paying up to $500 (HK$4000) and traveling from as far away as Melbourne to see the Argentine megastar play.
Hangzhou authorities cited “the current well-known reasons” for canceling the Argentina-Nigeria game. It is unclear whether Argentina will still compete against the Ivory Coast in Beijing on the same trip.
Tatler Asia, the organizer of the Hong Kong game that Messi was expected to play in, said Friday it would issue a 50% refund on tickets bought through official channels.
“We will not evade our responsibilities as an organizer,” the media company said, after days of intense pressure from fans and the Hong Kong government.