On February 4, Inter Miami played an exhibition match against the Hong Kong Stars at the Hong Kong Stadium. However, Messi sat on the bench for the entire game, causing dissatisfaction among many fans. According to media reports in Hong Kong, China, as of noon on the 5th, 38 complaints about Messi not playing were received, of which 29 were from local consumers and 9 were from foreign tourists, with a total amount of more than 210,000 Hong Kong dollars involved.
While the controversy raged, Messi remained silent and did not respond to the incident. On February 6, Messi arrived with Miami International in Tokyo, Japan, the next stop of his Asian tour. Upon arrival, Messi smiled and greeted the welcoming fans.
According to arrangements, Inter Miami will play against J-League team Vissel Kobe on February 7. In the official promotional video, Messi appeared and said "I am very happy to come to Tokyo to participate in this game."
According to the announced ticket prices for the Miami International Japan trip, the ticket price for this game is between RMB 241-2173 yuan, while the tickets for the Hong Kong trip are more expensive, reaching RMB 809-4488 yuan.