The international matches that were set to take place between Argentina and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finalists have reportedly been cancelled due to controversy involving Lionel Messi.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winners were scheduled to tour China during the upcoming international break in March, and take on the Super Eagles in Hangzhou before clashing with the newly-crowned champions of the continent, Ivory Coast, in Beijing in international friendlies.
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However, the game with the Super Eagles has been called off by Chinese sports authorities, just 24 hours before the clash against the Elephants was also cancelled.
"Beijing does not plan, for the moment, to organise the match in which Lionel Messi was to participate," the Beijing Football Association said in a statement, per Inside World Football.
The Argentine is said to be the reason that the encounters will now not take place.
The 36-year-old was part of the Inter Miami squad that travelled to Hong Kong for a friendly as part of their pre-season preparations for the upcoming campaign.
The Herons took on a Honk Kong XI and beat them by four goals to one on Sunday, 4 February. The main talking point of that match, however, was the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's failure to come off the bench to make an appearance, something that angered many of those in attendance, especially football lovers who spent a lot of money on tickets for the occasion, with his actions having been described as an "insult" after the event was promoted using his image.
Reports suggest that the former Barcelona star was unable to participate in the match because he was troubled by a groin injury.
Further outrage was sparked when Messi featured in his side's next friendly against Vissel Kobe, which took place in Japan just three days after Miami's clash at the Hong Kong Stadium.
Along with politicians openly criticising the Argentine for not participating in the fixture against the Hong Kong XI, Tatler Asia – the company responsible for organising the friendly – released a statement, expressing their annoyance with the situation.
"When we learned that Messi would not be playing, we pleaded with Inter Miami CF ownership and management to urge him to stand up, engage with the spectators and explain why he couldn't play," the statement read.
"He didn't. The fact that Messi and [his teammate Luis] Suarez played in Japan on 7 February feels like another slap in the face."
The company has reportedly offered a 50% refund to fans who attended the match but were unable to see the ex-Paris Saint Germain star in action.
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