China-Argentina match cancelled after Messi fails to take the field

Chinese football authorities have cancelled friendly matches scheduled for the Argentina national team to play in China next month, following Argentine footballer Lionel Messi's failure to take the field in an exhibition match played by his club, Inter Miami, in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It was reported that the two friendly matches Argentina planned to play against Nigeria on March 18 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and against Ivory Coast on March 26 in the capital, Beijing, have been cancelled.

While the Hangzhou Sports Bureau cancelled the friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria, the Beijing Football Association also announced that they would not be organizing the friendly match between Argentina and Ivory Coast.

In a statement released by the Beijing Football Association, it was noted that "Beijing does not currently plan to organize a match in which Lionel Messi would participate."

Messi's failure to play in the exhibition match Inter Miami played against a Hong Kong select team on February 4, citing an injury, had sparked reactions in China. Reactions in China intensified after the star footballer played for 30 minutes in an exhibition match Inter Miami played against Vissel Kobe in Japan just a few days later, on February 7.

The company that organized the match in Hong Kong had announced that it would refund half of the ticket prices to spectators following the backlash.