Why China and Hong Kong turned on Messi

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<p>Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami appeared to be a marketing dream for all concerned, that was before their pre-season tour of Asia.</p><p>After playing just seven minutes in Saudi Arabia and missing a ‘last dance’ with Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi failed to feature in Hong Kong with the fallout still rumbling on.</p><p>So why has Messi’s no-show caused geo-political tensions to rise and is the GOAT in danger of becoming a show pony in the final stages of his illustrious career?</p><p>Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Paul Tenorio to analyse the episode as well as dissect the wider impact on the growth of MLS.</p><p>Produced by Guy Clarke</p><p>Additional Production by Mike Stavrou</p><p>Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead</p><p>Further reading:</p><p><a href="https://theathletic.com/5274851/2024/02/15/a-thuggish-flamingo-why-china-turned-on-lionel-messi/">‘A thuggish flamingo’: Why China turned on Lionel Messi</a> - The Athletic</p><p><a href="https://theathletic.com/5271553/2024/02/13/inter-miami-messi-tour-hong-kong-saudi-arabia/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=twhq&amp;source=twitterhq">Hong Kong uproar, Messi injured and just one win: Inside Inter Miami’s Asian tour</a> - The Athletic</p><p> </p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>