Lionel Messi gets superstar’s welcome in China ahead of Australia friendly | Football News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: That sounds like an exciting reception for Lionel Messi in Beijing! Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time and has a huge global fan base. It’s not uncommon for him to receive such enthusiastic welcomes when he travels to different countries.
The fact that Messi’s arrival generated a lot of buzz among the fans is a testament to his popularity and the excitement surrounding Argentina’s upcoming friendly match against Australia.
The fans’ chants of “Messi! Messi!” and their choice to wear Argentina’s blue-and-white striped jersey with his iconic No. 10 show their admiration for the football superstar.

China has a growing football culture, and the country has been hosting various international matches and events to promote the sport. Messi has visited China several times in the past, with his most recent visit being in 2017.
Several banners written in Spanish and English welcomed the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner at the hotel.
“I waited from 9 am to noon,” said Liu Yuheng, who wore the jersey of Barcelona, the club where Messi spent most of his career.
“I thought he would come through the main door but not through the back door. I was a little disappointed not to see him,” the 26-year-old told AFP.
“As I couldn’t buy a ticket for the game, I booked a room in the same hotel as Messi and was hoping to catch a glimpse of him.”

World champions Argentina will play a friendly against Australia on June 15 at Beijing’s newly renovated 68,000-capacity Workers’ Stadium.
By midday, the star’s arrival was the most talked-about topic on the Weibo social network.
“I absolutely want to see Messi!” wrote one user, echoing others’ comments.
“I am still feeling the emotions of the match when Argentina secured the World Cup,” said another, referring to the team’s victory after an epic final against France in December.
The friendly will mark the return of international football to China, after three years of strict Covid-19 restrictions that emptied stadiums and led to a cascade of cancellations of sporting competitions.
The clash will be a rematch of the round of 16 at the World Cup, where Argentina won 2-1 against the Socceroos.
Messi, who has chosen to leave Paris Saint-Germain over the summer to pursue his career with Inter Miami, will also play another friendly match, when Argentina take on Indonesia in Jakarta on June 19, as part of this tour.
(With AFP Inputs)