Lionel Messi has recently seen a huge amount of outrage and adverse reactions amidst his absence from recent fixtures of Inter Miami's pre-season tour. The Argentine legend has been rested due to a knock he received last month ans seeing the upcoming Major League Soccer schedule and continental football, Inter Miami decided to not make the World Cup winner start games.
One such recent incident has floated around the internet as an angry Hong Kong fan, as per the clip depicts, smashed a Lionel Messi cutout out of anguish and frustation of not beeing able to see the 'La Pulga' play at all, as Inter Miami decided not to bring on the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner even as a substitute in the side's 4-1 victory over Hong Kong XI.
Lionel Messi's Iconic Tenure At Inter Miami So Far
Lionel Messi joined the MLS side back in July 2023 and his arrival in the United States came out as a complete shock as majority of the fans expected the G.O.A.T. to return to his beloved Blaugrana as a reunion with FC Barcelona was definitely on te cards. The other real contedner for the signature of Lionel Messi was Saudi Pro League's Al Hilal, who are one of the most successful sides in Asian football history, and offered the legendary football player a mind-boggling 1.5 billion euros per annum deal.
The deal wouldn't just have made Lionel Messi the highest paid player in the world, but also the highest wage getter in the entire sporting history as no such contract has ever been offered to any player.
However, Inter Miami came out of the blue and grabbed Messi's signature as the Argentine penned a two-year deal. Stating it a family-concerned decision, Messi also revealed that Barcelona were willing to make huge sacrifices, which he didn't like. Upon his arrival, the Argentine changed fortunes of the club as after 14 appearances and notching 11 goals, Messi guided Inter Miami to its first ever trophy by winning the Leagues Cup.