VIDEO: Fans Go Wild In Hong Kong As Messi Arrive In Far East

Lionel Messi mania has hit Hong Kong, with fans going wild for the Argentine superstar following the arrival of Inter Miami in the Far East.

Following consecutive losses to Al-Hilal and an Al-Nassr team without Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, the Florida-based Major League Soccer team is still on their fast-paced preseason tour. A star-studded team that includes Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets landed in Hong Kong in advance of their Sunday encounter with a Select XI.

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Supporters desperate for a glimpse of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi flooded the hotel that Inter Miami’s squad are staying at. Road closures have also been announced, to manage the demand of fans heading to the upcoming fixture, while a traditional junk boat has been spotted in Victoria Harbour sporting Messi’s face on its sails.

🚨🎥 | Fans in Hong Kong welcome Messi & Inter Miami pic.twitter.com/S0IjtIJg6y

— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) February 2, 2024

Replica shirts have been flying off the racks, and advertisements for Inter Miami’s most recent friendly match have taken over bus stops and LED displays throughout Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post was informed by a local retailer that his 200 Messi jerseys were selling at an unprecedented rate, with the products currently fetching up to $166: “Normally it takes half a year to sell out. But this time within three months we only have one to two left in stock, 70 per cent was sold in the past month.”

When tickets for the Messi event were on sale in December, they sold out in an hour, and since then, costs have increased due to the frantic rush for entry cards. While in Asia, the Herons will also play a match versus Vissel Kobe, a Japanese team, before heading back to the States to begin the 2024 MLS season.