“No priority will be given to him and his team” - Hong Kong FA chief rules out Lionel Messi friendly and expresses interest in Cristiano Ronaldo

Hong Kong FA president Pui-Kwan Kay has said that they want to host Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in January 2025, but are not interested in talking about a potential return for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Kay stated that they were not willing to give priority to Messi and his team because of the incident earlier this year. He said:

"Personally, it is not appropriate to ask about Messi at this time. No priority will be given to him and his team."

The Argentine had to skip the match because of an injury and that left the fans furious. He was named on the bench, but did not come on during the 4-1 win for the MLS side against Hong Kong XI.

Kay now wants to bring Ronaldo and Al Nassr to the city and has offered to split the cost. He claimed that the Portuguese star is one of the most popular players in the world and said:

"If Al Nassr is going to play exhibition matches in some cities, the expensive fees could be split. I don't know if Al Nassr will return to China, but [bringing Ronaldo to Hong Kong] is a good idea because he is one of the most popular players. The HKFA could just take the lead [alongside other parties], or be the organisers, but it's just too early to say. As of now, we're only at the stage of consideration and discussion."

Al Nassr have not planned any pre-season matches yet and are focused on the current season in which they are second in the league table.

Cristiano Ronaldo's rival Lionel Messi issues apology to Hong Kong

Lionel Messi fans were furious with the Argentine for sitting on the bench during Inter Miami's pre-season game against Hong Kong XI earlier this year and shouted for a 'refund' at the stadium. The former Barcelona star took to Weibo later to apologize to the fans and said:

"Hello to all fans and friends in mainland China and Hong Kong. I regretted not being able to play in the friendly match in Hong Kong due to a groin injury... I hope that one day we will have the opportunity to come back and... also look forward to returning to the mainland as soon as possible."

However, it did not go down well with the fans as the Argentine played in Japan a few days later. Hu Xijin, a prominent Chinese commentator, wrote on X, formerly Twitter:

"Why didn't Messi play in Hong Kong or participate in the handshake with HK chief executive? And why did he [Lionel Messi] smile, run freely and looked fit in Japan? Many Chinese fans bought high-priced tickets & went to [Hong Kong] specifically for Messi. They deserve a formal explanation & apology."

Inter Miami have done well this season and are on top of the Eastern Conference in the MLS. Lionel Messi has been a key player them and has scored five goals in as many league matches this season.