Chinese and Hong Kong fans and the state media felt disrespected when Lionel Messi didn’t play when he came to town and came off the bench against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo a few days later.
Following criticism from China and Hong Kong over his absence from the Inter Miami exhibition match against the Hong Kong select side earlier this month, the Major League Soccer star felt compelled to explain himself.
Elsewhere, the NY Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy, who finished eighth in the East and 13th in the West last season, come into the 2024 campaign with higher expectations following the arrival of their top European-based acquisitions.
Before the new campaign rolls along, allow SBOTOP to bring to you the latest Major League Soccer 2024 updates.
Messi tries to diffuse the growing tension
Lionel Messi cried foul for the “false stories” that circulated as to why he was absent for the Hong Kong match. In his statement, the Inter Miami star reiterated that he dealt with an adductor injury and that he maintains a “close and special” relationship with China.
“I’ve read and heard many things that have been said after the game in Hong Kong. I wanted to record this video and give you the true version so nobody has to continue reading false stories,” said Messi.
“I’ve heard people say that I didn’t want to play for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue,” he emphasised. “Had that been the case, I wouldn’t have even traveled to Japan or visited China, as I have many times. Since the start of my career, I’ve had a very close and special relationship with China.”
Messi’s video post was trending on Weibo on Monday, garnering over 20,000 comments and 200,000 likes in just about an hour. While most of the comments have been positive, there are still a huge chunk of negative ones that question his sincerity, which mostly include the sarcastic hashtag “medical miracle.”
Chinese authorities also cancelled Argentina’s friendlies in Hangzhou and Beijing scheduled for March in the aftermath of Messi’s absence.
Prior to all of this, many fans from Saudi Arabia were also disappointed when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo missed their chance to compete against one another once more since the latter was injured at the time, although Al-Nassr came away with a comprehensive 6-0 victory.
The Herons did manage to finally end their winless run when they defeated the Hong Kong XI 4-1 without Lionel Messi. But after that, they were beaten by Vissel Kobe and Newell’s, although the good news is that the 2022 World Cup champion is getting better fitness-wise.
NY Red Bulls got themselves a baller in Forsberg
Emil Forsberg had already turned 32 by the time he completed his transfer to the NY Red Bulls last December, but he is far from washed up, and he’s determined to show everyone just that in the upcoming season.
Speaking in an interview with 90Min earlier this month, the versatile midfielder shared his excitement about bringing his talents to the Big Apple.
“I think it’s a fantastic league with a lot of quality,” said Forsberg. “It’s gonna be really fun and then for myself and the team we have big expectations. We want to do something big and yeah, my expectations are in every way high.”
Before joining New York, Forsberg recorded 128 goals in 520 club appearances, with stops at GIF Sundsvall, Malmo, and RB Leipzig.
It was with RB Leipzig that he made a name for himself in Europe, making several Champions League appearances and winning the DFB-Pokal twice (2021-22 and 2022-23) and the DFL-Supercup once (2023).
The NY Red Bulls spent $3.3 million to acquire Forsberg, making them one of the contenders for a top four spot, as per the Major League Soccer 2024 odds.
LA Galaxy reload with highly-rated winger
With LAFC signing Hugo Lloris last month, the LA Galaxy one-upped their city rivals by acquiring Joseph Paintsil in a multi-year deal from Genk for a transfer fee of around $9 million.
Because of the relatively high transfer fee, expectations are high for Paintsil right from the get-go. The Ghanaian winger tallied six goals and four assists in the Belgian Pro League in 2023, so Los Angeles are hoping that they can get a similar, if not better, return now that he’s in Major League Soccer.
The LA Galaxy are set to open their 2024 campaign against Inter Miami at the Dignity Health Sports Park, and for sure, many will watch the said game with great interest.
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