Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians and fans have cried foul after Lionel Messi played for Inter Miami on their pre-season tour in Japan, a few days after he stayed on the bench for a highly-anticipated match in Hong Kong. Many in Hong Kong were dismayed on Sunday when the 36-year-old World Cup winner did not come on to the field during a sold-out Inter Miami game, with fans demanding answers and a refund. Miami’s head coach Gerardo Martino said Messi was deemed unfit to play in Sunday’s match. The saga has dominated Chinese social media, with related conversations taking up half of the top 10 trending topics on Weibo in recent days with hundreds of millions of daily engagements. Lionel Messi: outcry in China and Hong Kong after star returns from injury in time for Japan match