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And the story grows: #HongKong Beijing-controlled media outlet Ta Kung Pao now claims that Messi’s non-performance in HK must be a foreign plot to embarrass HK, because the father of Inter Miami’s owners was apparently a former anti-Castro CIA operative. https://t.co/zdX3ajyNfi pic.twitter.com/rkJX8ZV90s
— Kevin Yam 任建峰 (@kevinkfyam) February 8, 2024
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Chinese Football Association gets involved in the Messi mess.
🇨🇳 Chinese Football Association has reportedly suspended relevant cooperation with the Argentine Football Association, including the Argentine national team.
— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) February 8, 2024
The Chinese FA has also removed all Messi related content from their official website.https://t.co/FwAEGXjira pic.twitter.com/6fYKA6IhMa
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‘Political motives’ and ‘black hand’ behind Messi’s Hong Kong no-show, claim gov’t advisor, China state media
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) February 8, 2024
🔗 https://t.co/2nnd6W7iNP pic.twitter.com/uAphoRLyIw
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Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter-Miami, and the black hand behind them, for the deliberate and calculated snub to Hong Kong.https://t.co/jMALNyGASt
— Regina Ip Lau Suk Yee (@ReginaIplau) February 7, 2024
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#China’s Global Times and Hong Kong senior government adviser Regina Ip cry foul over Argentine footballer #LionelMessi’s failure to play in a Hong Kong fixture, citing possible political reasons.
— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) February 8, 2024
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Will more stars be attracted to HK given this rhetoric over an injury? https://t.co/n5SptgtWDn
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You can now tell who are wumao, Little Pinks, white monkeys…
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I hope the world sees the ridiculous overreaction of Hong Kong government officials to Messi not getting on the field for the Inter Miami match here and accurately extrapolates from there how massively overblown their perceptions of threats to China's national security are. https://t.co/5lA0tYq9Zm
— YTSL (@FY4Chan) February 7, 2024
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"The black hand behind" Inter-Miami is interesting, coming from Regina Ip, an intelligent woman who studied under Larry Diamond at Stanford.
— William Nee (@williamnee) February 7, 2024
Unhinged conspiratorial rhetoric – of the likes of Alex Jones – has been mainstreamed in HK to the extent that no one thinks it is unusual https://t.co/2U0aWfkKx2
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Messi rubs salt in Chinese wounds 😂
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拒绝与香港特首握手的球王梅西，在日本与金牌牛郎罗兰微笑合影……罗兰：谢谢你对接客出身的我，没有偏见……
— 陈秋实 Chen Qiushi (@chenqiushi404) February 7, 2024
网友评论：罗兰抚慰了无数受伤的心，那可是男人中的极品，论跟梅西握手，他李加超还真不配…… pic.twitter.com/GvDvxN7xcA
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Miserable in Hong Kong, happy in Japan — Leo Messi is a true Hong Konger
— Matthew Brooker (@mbrookerhk) February 7, 2024
(meme floating around whatsapp) pic.twitter.com/CosA8P771u
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Leo Messi: I am very happy to play here in Japan
— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) February 6, 2024
pic.twitter.com/YhIOWCrzVf
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“Messi should never be allowed to return to Hong Kong,” said govt advisor and Exco convenor Regina Ip, after Messi played in a friendly match in Japan. pic.twitter.com/rX2DkiT2C0
— Alvin Lum (@alvinllum) February 7, 2024
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Interesting choice of enemy: Comrade Hu is whipping up patriotic anger against the world's most popular footballer. Whatever the reasons behind Messi's snub of Hong Kong, I don't think it is good PR strategy for the Chinese media to keep this story going https://t.co/2rkNsJbHfy
— 杨涵 Han Yang (@polijunkie_aus) February 6, 2024
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They're grinding their teeth in hate over in Hong Kong. Messi would not play and Taylor Swift would not even consider Hong Kong, an outpost of China 😂 https://t.co/9ANOqCTFBO
— simonthong aka kitty poo (@KittyPo80176717) February 7, 2024
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Leo Messi on why he didn't play in Hong Kong 🗣️
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 6, 2024
(via @InterMiamiCF) pic.twitter.com/ruTBA8MQAF
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Controversy over Lionel Messi’s failure to play in a football match in Hong Kong is showing no sign of ending, with many in China taking to social media to vent their frustration over his no-show https://t.co/7IrSvmU0si
— Bloomberg (@business) February 7, 2024
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Hong Kong fans are wondering if Lionel Messi deliberately avoided shaking the hand of Hong Kong leader John Lee by stealthily going behind the officials. (Saw this edit from a group chat. Someone fact-check this please cuz it’s too funny if true.) pic.twitter.com/JTknCNJIt4
— Josh Ye (@ByJoshYe) February 6, 2024
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I am not a football fan. So I know little about #Messi . But I remember a few years ago, news reports said Messi signed his name on his portrait, attempting to deliver it to the prison where #NobelPeacePrize winner #LiuXiaobo lost his freedom and his life: https://t.co/dI5UPviwjm pic.twitter.com/JXNQ210gr0
— Eric Yan-ho Lai 黎恩灝 (@laiyanhoeric) February 5, 2024
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When #HongKong's #CCP quislings aren't making me outraged by injustices, they make me laugh at their absurdity
— Benedict Rogers 羅傑斯 (@benedictrogers) February 5, 2024
I was outraged that David Beckham went; they're furious that #Messi didn't play 🙂
Why Hong Kong Is Mad Over Messihttps://t.co/mDktZjx4H5
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weehingthong 