Problems have arisen for Lionel Messi shortly after he announced his next career move. The 2022 World Cup winner turned down opportunities to either rejoin Barcelona or play in Saudi Arabia with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Instead, he signed up with a team controlled by former soccer player David Beckham. July 5 will mark the formal beginning of his career with Inter Miami.
To prepare for an upcoming friendly encounter, the 35-year-old was now on his way to China to join the rest of his international teammates. Upon arriving at Beijing Airport, the Argentine captain ran into a slight snag.
Why was Lionel Messi stopped at Beijing Airport in China?
The Argentine icon Lionel Messi, a celebrity, and frequent foreign traveler is not immune to the complexities of passports and visas. Over the weekend, he was dragged into a diplomatic controversy between China and Taiwan.
The 35-year-old forward is seen in a video being escorted through the airport by a squad of police officers. Chinese officials are believed to have encountered a problem with his passport, which led to his detention.
Although he has dual Spanish-Argentine citizenship, the player used his Spanish passport to enter China. The Daily Mirror report that Messi may visit Taiwan without a visa since he has a valid Spanish passport and believes the island to be part of China.
Perhaps the resemblance in the names of the two nations contributed to Messi’s misunderstanding. The mainland of China is officially known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), whereas Taiwan is recognized as the Republic of China (ROC).
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Spanish nationals do not need a visa to visit Taiwan but will need one to enter mainland China. The Chinese government rushed through Messi’s visa application, preventing him from entering the country and forcing him to wait two hours at the airport.
