David Beckham is BOOED as Inter Miami go away Lionel Messi on the bench

Furious followers in Hong Kong booed David Beckham and demanded a refund after paying for tickets to look at Lionel Messi, just for the Inter Miami star to remain on the bench.

Beckham, the president and co-owner of the American soccer franchise, greeted the 40,000 robust crowd after the sport and thanked them for his or her ‘unimaginable welcome’ following Inter Miami’s 4-1 win over a Hong Kong XI.

But the Manchester United and England was roundly booed throughout his speech after followers paid as a lot as $460 for a glimpse of Messi in motion.

There was at all times an opportunity he wouldn’t function on account of harm however followers snapped up all 40,000 tickets at Hong Kong Stadium inside an hour after they went on sale in December.

It was reportedly made clear to followers after they bought tickets that there could be no refunds issued if Messi did not play. 

David Beckham was booed by followers in Hong Kong after Lionel Messi did not play for Inter Miami

A good hamstring stored the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on the sidelines with Luis Suarez

Fans had paid large sums to look at Messi in motion however they had been denied the possibility on Sunday

A cardboard cutout of Messi’s head was kicked off a billboard for the sport across the stadium

A good hamstring stored the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on the sidelines in Hong Kong together with Uruguayan ahead and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez.

Messi performed the ultimate seven minutes of their defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia on Thursday after studies emerged earlier than the sport that he’d been for a MRI scan on a suspected harm. 

Despite that, Messi had been closely marketed each when tickets went on sale and within the construct as much as the sport and when tickets went on sale. 

There had been chants of ‘we would like Messi’ halfway by way of the second half however he simply watched on from the bench.

One fan admitted she ‘felt like a idiot’ after her associate paid $280 every for them to be in attendance.

‘I’ve been ready virtually ten years to see him,’ Total Ling Pak-to mentioned. ‘This is a uncommon alternative to see him, as a result of he may be retiring quickly. We are very disenchanted.’

One fan, who paid $200 for his ticket, even flew in from Melbourne to catch a glimpse of Messi.

‘I flew from Melbourne for this,’ mentioned Marco Hu Kim-ming. ‘We waited a very long time however he by no means confirmed up. I’m actually disenchanted.’

Another fan, who forked out $460, was additionally livid. Antony Osazee mentioned: ‘I got here for the coaching and simply noticed him doing stretches. Messi is not a supermodel. People do not pay simply to look at him sit.’

Local followers could not disguise their frustration after paying as a lot as $460 to look at Messi play 

Messi took half in coaching the day earlier than, regardless of struggling a hamstring problem in Saudi Arabia 

The followers who crammed the identical enviornment a day earlier a minimum of noticed the 2022 World Cup winner in an open coaching session alongside Beckham.

Speaking on the pitch after the sport, Beckham mentioned: ‘On behalf of all people concerned in Inter Miami, our membership, I wish to say thanks very a lot for the unimaginable welcome.

‘We have at all times liked… I’ve at all times liked Hong Kong. Thank you very a lot for the unimaginable welcome. And we stay up for coming again in the future to entertain you much more.

‘Thank you to the media. Thank you for everybody within the stadium that has turned up tonight and been right here for us.

‘It means so much as a result of to see these nice gamers play conjures up a variety of younger kids on this nation and around the globe. I hope in the future we will likely be again to entertain you. Hong Kong, thanks very a lot. I’ll see you quickly. Thank you.’

Despite Messi’s absence, Inter Miami produced a greater efficiency after a 6-0 thrashing by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr in Riyadh on Thursday.

Robert Taylor opened the scoring for Miami 5 minutes earlier than the break with a curling shot from the nook of the realm.

Henri Anier shortly leveled for the hosts, led by nationwide staff coach Jorn Andersen.

Lawson Sunderland restored Miami’s lead early within the second half after which, after 56 minutes, supplied the help for Leonardo Campana, who made it 3-1. Ryan Sailor headed a fourth 5 minutes from the top. 

Miami finishes its Asian tour in Japan on Wednesday because it takes on Vissel Kobe.

More to observe.