China will cancel two practice matches against Argentina, the organizers have said. The reason is the riot surrounding Lionel Messi, who recently did not play in Hong Kong despite contractual obligations.

Messi was supposed to play on behalf of his club Inter Miami in a friendly match against an All-Star team from Hong Kong last week, but remained on the bench for 90 minutes. It led to a lot of anger among the 40,000 fans and the government.

The public reacted furiously to the message that was announced. Images quickly circulated on the internet showing Messi being booed by angry fans and marketing material of the Argentinian striker being demolished. Furious fans demanded their money back.

Messi's 'no show' – the Argentinian star player did appear on the line in a tracksuit – is now getting a new chapter, as China has decided not to host the world champion after all.

The plan was for the Argentinian team to practice against Ivory Coast and Nigeria in Hangzhou and Beijing between March 18 and 24, but the organization has now decided against that.

“For well-known reasons, we have decided not to go ahead with the friendly matches,” a statement said. It is not known whether Argentina will look for another location or cancel the matches.

It was extra painful for the Chinese that Messi took action in Tokyo a few days after the heavy protests. In a friendly match against Vissel Kobe, the attacker played for half an hour. Inter Miami was on tour through Asia in preparation for the new season in Major League Soccer (MLS).

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