By Brendan Lai
February 5 2023
Pink jerseys flood the streets of Causeway Bay and Tin Hau on the 3rd of February as Hong Kong welcomes World Cup winner Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates.
Former FC Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets join their former captain as they prepare for their fourth preseason match in Hong Kong stadium. The exhibition match is part of a campaign which authorities hope would promote Hong Kong.
“Even though he’s 36, because he won the world cup last year, his influence is still massive. It’s the same, if not bigger than the current stars, especially to us football fans,” Said Dennis Lau, an event crew member. Fans and tourists alike fill the sold-out, 40,000 capacity Hong Kong Stadium to catch a glimpse of the superstar in action.
“Standing here, I’ve seen a lot of tourists around, and I think they came to Hong Kong specifically to come watch [Messi],” said Justin Lo, a fan wearing an Argentina Messi kit.
Advertisement for Sunday’s Inter Miami – Hong Kong match. @intermiamicf/Instagram
All match tickets, ranging from HK$880 to HK$4,880, sold out within an hour last month. With resellers escalating the prices during the buildup to the event. “I think no matter how expensive [the tickets are] people will still buy,” said Lo.
Tickets — priced from HK$608 to HK$808 for the open training session on Saturday were also sold out. “Even today’s training match had a lot of people watching, I think the effect [of Messi] is massive,” said Lau.
Lionel Messi training at Hong Kong Stadium. @brfootball/@bleacherreport/Instagram
Ticket resellers lurked in and around the area trying to find buyers for their tickets, despite warnings from organizers that resold tickets will be turned away. One offered to sell his nose-bleed tickets for HK$650 over the retail price.
“Pricing has an effect, but for people who are willing to buy tickets to come to Hong Kong, I believe that they will be willing to spend,” said Lau when asked about the pricing. “Like if we go on vacation, we are willing to spend more, so I don’t think it’s as big of a concern.”
Many considered the pricing for the Inter Miami – Hong Kong match exorbitant. With other international stars performing at much lower prices. “If the tickets were cheaper, I think even more will come and watch,” said Joshua Law, a Tattler crew member.
Tickets to the Post Malone world tour in 2023 started at HK$1,099. With VIP tickets selling for up to HK$2,399. While music festival tickets to Clockenflap spanned from HK$1,280 to HK$1,990 and tickets to Creamfields reached up to HK$3,000. Well below the quoted HK4,880 to see Messi in action. “I think Messi’s fame and influence is even bigger than other stars, his appearance fees are higher, and people will come specifically to watch him,” said Lo when asked about Messi compared to other international stars.
When asked about his decision, Lo explained, “Chances to watch Messi are dwindling, so if we get a chance to watch him, it will for sure be a memory to cherish, so I think it’s worth it.”
Passion amongst the fans were there to see, as groups of fans wore Messi-inspired face paint and dressed with the Argentine’s iconic number 10 on their backs.
“We are fans of Messi! It means everything to me, it’s my first time seeing Messi, I think I will cry when I see him, I am so happy when I got the tickets to see Messi!” said Yan Wei Hao, a tourist from Hangzhou who came to watch the match with his family. “For me, [the pricing] doesn’t affect me very much,” said Yan. “Because this price does not exceed my love for Messi, there is still much consumer surplus, and it is worth it for me to buy this ticket,” he said while smiling.
Parents were also seen bringing their children to the match in hopes that the World Cup winner would inspire the next generation. “I hope the future generation will be able to love the sport too,” said Phoebe Leung, a mother bringing her children to the training session. “I think watching this with family is beneficial to the future generation, being able to witness and inspire them.”
Many fans just hope to catch a glimpse of the star.
“In the end, I just hope to catch a glimpse of Messi. I just hope to cherish the moment and say that I’ve seen Messi in person,” said Lo.
Reporting by Brendan Lai
Editing by Samantha Sadie