According to multiple sources the fall out of Lionel Messi no showing with Inter Miami against the Hong Kong XI is now spilling over to his national team. The Hangzhou Sports Bureau issued a statement that “the conditions for hosting the event are not mature”.
Argentina scheduled two friendly matches in China in March, on March 18th against Nigeria in Hangzhou, and in Beijing against the Ivory Coast on March 26th.
The announcement from the Hangzhou Sports Bureau stated the cancelation of “a friendly” meaning it could be the match against Nigeria only, although Reuters is reporting it’s just the match against Nigeria.
Argentina vs Nigeria off?
“As a commercial event, a company and the Argentinean soccer team negotiated that the team would play a friendly match in March this year in the city of Hangzhou,” the Hangzhou authorities said in a statement.
“In view of the current well-known reasons, according to the competent authorities, conditions to hold the friendly match are not mature, therefore (we) have decided to cancel it.”
All this stems from a loud public outcry when Lionel Messi could not partake in Inter Miami’s friendly match against Hong Kong XI. Messi had a slight injury that limited him to the bench in that match and just 10 minutes against Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.