weehingthong

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

🇨🇳 Chinese Football Association has reportedly suspended relevant cooperation with the Argentine Football Association, including the Argentine national team.

The Chinese FA has also removed all Messi related content from their official website.https://t.co/FwAEGXjira pic.twitter.com/6fYKA6IhMa

— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) February 8, 2024

‘Political motives’ and ‘black hand’ behind Messi’s Hong Kong no-show, claim gov’t advisor, China state media

🔗 https://t.co/2nnd6W7iNP pic.twitter.com/uAphoRLyIw

— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) February 8, 2024

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

#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.
___________
Will more stars be attracted to HK given this rhetoric over an injury? https://t.co/n5SptgtWDn

— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) February 8, 2024

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

"The black hand behind" Inter-Miami is interesting, coming from Regina Ip, an intelligent woman who studied under Larry Diamond at Stanford.

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

— William Nee (@williamnee) February 7, 2024

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……
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

— 陈秋实 Chen Qiushi (@chenqiushi404) February 7, 2024

Miserable in Hong Kong, happy in Japan — Leo Messi is a true Hong Konger

(meme floating around whatsapp) pic.twitter.com/CosA8P771u

— Matthew Brooker (@mbrookerhk) February 7, 2024

Leo Messi: I am very happy to play here in Japan

pic.twitter.com/YhIOWCrzVf

— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) February 6, 2024

“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

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

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

Leo Messi on why he didn't play in Hong Kong 🗣️

(via @InterMiamiCF) pic.twitter.com/ruTBA8MQAF

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 6, 2024

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

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

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

When #HongKong's #CCP quislings aren't making me outraged by injustices, they make me laugh at their absurdity

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

— Benedict Rogers 羅傑斯 (@benedictrogers) February 5, 2024