China News Service, Beijing, February 5th (Reporter Bian Liqun) Never expected that Chinese fans who were full of expectations would be "let go" again. On the evening of the 4th, the exhibition match between Inter Miami and the Hong Kong Stars of China aroused widespread attention and controversy because Messi did not appear.

  Fans at the scene expressed dissatisfaction. Photo by Hou Yu

　　In order to safeguard this competition, the Hong Kong SAR government provided approximately 16 million Hong Kong dollars in support to the organizers. The money is definitely not for watching the Inter Miami team with little honor, but for Messi's halo.

　　It is precisely because of Messi that the official ticket price for this game is set at 880 to 4880 Hong Kong dollars. Many fans rushed to Hong Kong from thousands of miles away just to watch the "King of Football" in action, but they ended up missing out.

  Messi walks out of the tunnel before the game. Photo by Hou Yu

　　Looking at the schedule of Inter Miami, they have played as many as 6 games in this half month, from the United States to El Salvador in Central and North America, to Saudi Arabia in West Asia, and then to Hong Kong, China, and then to Tokyo, Japan.

　　Such a dense schedule can be called an assembly line exhibition match. Not only are the stars overwhelmed, but the quality of the game is also difficult to guarantee. Even the minimum requirement of Messi playing is not met.

  Inter Miami president David Beckham walked onto the field after the game. Photo by Hou Yu

　　In comparison, the Argentine team's China trip that was hastily launched in the middle of last year, and the Riyadh Victory team's China trip that was suddenly postponed the day before the game in January this year, do not seem so outrageous.

　　After all, although the Argentine team is full of opportunities in China, it at least allowed Chinese fans to see the world champion and "ball king" after the World Cup.

  Data map: Messi during the Argentina team’s trip to China. Photo by Tomita

　　The Riyadh Victory team's trip to China was a huge disappointment to the fans. The pre-game dinner that became a bit messy because the organizers sold relevant seats became another trigger. Throughout the dinner, Ronaldo was overwhelmed by the various demands for autographs, photos, live broadcasts, and videos.

　　But at the very least, after it was determined that Ronaldo could not play and the game was postponed, the organizers promised to refund tickets and reimburse fans for related expenses.

　　Cristiano Ronaldo also apologized at a special press conference: "I want to apologize to the Chinese fans. I love China and I want to play for you. I have played for 23 years. Some things and injuries are unavoidable. I’m sad about that.”

  Data map: Ronaldo in the game.

　　The result of the public backlash against Inter Miami and the strong dissatisfaction expressed by the fan groups once again prove that although China has a huge fan market, this kind of one-off star exhibition games is really not advisable.

　　If Inter Miami and Messi want to win back the hearts of Chinese fans, they need a public explanation and a sincere "after-sales plan." (over)