Messi insists Hong Kong no-show was due to injury, not politics / Photo: Peter PARKS - AFP
-
Jadeja, Sundar help India bowl out New Zealand for 235 in third Test
-
Slot on Liverpool learning curve
-
Indonesia tribe's homeland at risk after losing final appeal: NGOs
-
'Brat' named word of the year by Collins dictionary
-
Harris, Trump converge on Milwaukee as US election looms
-
New Zealand 192-6 after Jadeja strikes for India in third Test
-
Taiwan races to remove oil from grounded Chinese ship
-
Bagnaia pips title rival Martin in Malaysian MotoGP practice
-
On Belgian coast, fishing on horseback -- and saving a tradition
-
French brushmakers stage 'comeback' with pivot to luxury market
-
'Recovery tool': theatre helps Ukrainian soldiers reintegrate
-
Indonesia adds Google Pixel phones to ban list with iPhone 16
-
US election race awaits employment data
-
German law easing legal gender change comes into force
-
Botswana leader concedes defeat after party drubbed in election
-
Napoli players in Conte's good books as they seek sixth win in a row
-
Fresh strikes hit south Beirut after Israeli evacuation calls
-
India's capital chokes in smog after firework ban flouted
-
Climate shifts and urbanisation drive Nepal dengue surge
-
Jets snap five-game skid with thrilling 21-13 win over Texans
-
'On top of the world': Japan hails Ohtani series triumph
-
Asian stocks mostly fall, tracking global slide
-
Title-chasing Bagnaia fastest in opening Malaysia MotoGP practice
-
TikTok bandits terrorise, transfix Pakistan riverlands
-
Morant fires Grizzlies in win over Bucks, Rockets hold off Mavs
-
'Waiting in vain': year on from pledge, world clings to fossil fuels
-
Shelf-sharing seeks to save bookstores in Japan
-
Filipinos brave crowds, flooding for All Saints' Day cemetery visits
-
Japan cyclists risk jail for using a mobile
-
Summit to save nature enters final day with disagreement on funding
-
Fright night: NY marks Halloween parade with political edge
-
North Korea says test-fire 'perfected' new solid-fuel ICBM
-
England and New Zealand in search of November flourish
-
Spotlight on half-backs as Springboks eye tour sweep
-
US rapper Young Thug freed after guilty plea in street gang case
-
Man Utd hope for Van Nistelrooy magic, Arsenal face Newcastle test
-
Taiwan cleans up after Typhoon Kong-rey leaves two dead
-
Lewis run blitz leads West Indies to big victory over England
-
Dead or alive? Scores missing after Sudan attacks
-
Lawn sign wars: US election drains neighborhood spirit
-
Some defiant south Lebanese stay put in face of Israeli fire
-
Deceptive 'bait-and-switch' Facebook groups snare US voters: study
-
In US swing state Pennsylvania, inflation means 'rent or eating'
-
Immigrant dreams boil over in US-Mexican film 'La Cocina'
-
In US, transgender candidates enter political lion's den
-
Boeing again raises offer to end strike, union to vote Monday
-
'Game of Thrones' movie in early development: reports
-
US rapper Young Thug pleads guilty in street gang case
-
Apple narrowly beats estimates with boost from iPhone sales
-
Bolivia's breadbasket squeezed by pro-Morales blockades
NYSE - LSE
| RYCEF | 1.15% | 6.94 | $ | |
| CMSC | -0.16% | 24.55 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 100% | 59.6 | $ | |
| SCS | -1.66% | 12.03 | $ | |
| NGG | -2.33% | 63.59 | $ | |
| RIO | -1.56% | 64.89 | $ | |
| BCC | -1.01% | 133.03 | $ | |
| BP | 1.16% | 29.36 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.68% | 36.76 | $ | |
| BTI | 1.77% | 34.98 | $ | |
| VOD | -1.29% | 9.27 | $ | |
| JRI | 0.23% | 13.08 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.69% | 24.66 | $ | |
| RELX | -1.49% | 46.22 | $ | |
| BCE | 0.06% | 32.26 | $ | |
| AZN | -2.36% | 71.15 | $ |
Messi insists Hong Kong no-show was due to injury, not politics
Argentine football star Lionel Messi insisted Monday that his absence from a match in Hong Kong two weeks ago that drew the ire of spectators was not a snub but prompted by injury.
In a video posted on China's Weibo social media platform, Messi rejected chatter that his no-show was "for political reasons" and said if this had been the case, "I would not have traveled" to Hong Kong in the first place.
"As everyone knows, I always want to play and be in every game," he said.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner stayed on the bench throughout Inter Miami's 4-1 win against a Hong Kong select XI on February 4.
His no-show drew boos and calls for refunds from thousands of fans who had shelled out large sums to see the World Cup-winning captain play in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Widely considered the best player of his generation, Messi is a highly marketable sportsman who people around the world will pay top dollar to see, even in the twilight of his trophy-laden career.
Some nationalist politicians and outlets interpreted Messi's absence -- and his subsequent appearance at a similar match in Japan -- as a snub to China, without offering evidence.
Sports bosses in China subsequently canceled two friendly matches featuring world champions Argentina.
Messi spoke in his video of a "very nice and very close" relationship with China, a country with which he said he had "done a lot of things" including matches and events.
His reason for not playing, the star striker said, was due to injury, specifically "inflammation of an adductor" muscle.
L.Durand--AMWN