Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi’s absence from a friendly match in Hong Kong between Inter Miami and a local club on Feb. 4, has led to a significant backlash from disappointed fans. Following the incident, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has taken measures to censor Messi’s visibility in state media by excluding him from programs and advertisements. As a result, various brands endorsed by Messi in China are also affected.
On Feb. 12, the CCP-controlled China Central Television (CCTV) Sports Channel’s “World Football” program replaced its original opening scene of Messi lifting the World Cup trophy with footage of Philipp Lahm, the former German team captain, doing the same in 2014.
CCTV’s move indicates that Messi has been essentially “shadow-banned” by the CCP.
On Feb. 10, Chinese state media reported that Messi would not participate in any matches in China. Two scheduled friendly matches involving the Argentine soccer team were both canceled with little explanation.
There were also reports that the Chinese Football Association had suspended cooperation with the Argentine Football Association, and future events featuring Messi in China may also face indefinite postponement.
The incident stemmed from Messi’s absence during a friendly match held in Hong Kong on February 4, between a Hong Kong XI team and Inter Miami from the United States. Despite being present, Messi remained on the bench for the entire game, reportedly due to an injury. Fans, who had purchased tickets priced at up to HK$4,800 (approximately US$615) in anticipation of seeing the Inter Miami star play, expressed their annoyance with the organizers.
After the match, Messi walked past the team and avoided shaking hands with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, which sparked criticism from pro-China politicians and Chinese ultranationalists on social media.
‘Calculated Snub’
Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau demanded an explanation from the event organizers who questioned why Messi had played in a match in Japan for a significant amount of time just three days later.Kenneth Fok, a pro-CCP legislative councilor in Hong Kong and a member of the CCP’s rubber-stamp National People’s Congress, expressed anger and demanded an apology from Inter Miami and Messi. On February 6, he published an article attacking the player, accusing him of disrespecting Hong Kong. The next day, he made another lengthy post on China’s heavily censored social media platform, Weibo, stating that Messi’s performance in Japan was “rubbing salt in the wounds of Hong Kong fans.
The CCP-controlled state media and the pro-Beijing media in Hong Kong also pointed the finger at so-called “external [anti-China] forces.” On Feb. 8, the CCP state media Global Times published an editorial stating that there were “political motives” behind the incident, and claimed that “external forces deliberately wanted to embarrass Hong Kong”.
On Feb 11, former Financial Secretary of Hong Kong John Tsang expressed concern on Facebook that the Messi incident might escalate to the political level and could affect Hong Kong’s international reputation.
Messi Incident Affects Capital Markets
International brands endorsed by Messi in China have also been targeted by Chinese ultranationalists online, leading to a backlash in public opinion as well as the stock market. Some Chinese ultranationalists flooded online stock market forums with requests for the billion-dollar logistics service provider, J&T Express, to replace Messi as their spokesperson.J&T Express announced Messi as its global brand spokesperson in November 2022. This was the first time a Chinese logistics company had signed an endorsement deal with a soccer superstar.
Messi has endorsed several brands in China, with the recent signing of Chishui River wine attracting significant attention. His endorsement of the brand on Jan. 11 originally became a hot topic on Chinese social media.
The CCP’s Usual Tactics
Ye Zhiqiu, a New Zealand-based journalist and Chinese current affairs commentator, said that the Messi incident reflects the CCP’s usual tactics.In an interview with The Epoch Times on Feb. 18, Mr. Ye stated that the CCP frequently employs celebrities for its propaganda efforts, creating an illusion of prosperity. However, when these efforts fail to meet the CCP’s objectives, the regime reacts with anger.
He explained that although the CCP accuses Messi of disrespecting Hong Kong and China, all high-ranking officials in Hong Kong are appointed by the CCP regime, and the CCP has never respected the Chinese people and the people of Hong Kong.
“Therefore, the CCP talking about ‘respect’ is the greatest irony,’ Mr. Ye said. “In addition, the CCP chose to politicize the event to incite ultranationalist sentiment [against Messi], which is not a smart move against an individual.”
He explained that the CCP’s approach would only further drive international brands and companies away, making them unwilling to invest in China. Therefore, the victims are ultimately the everyday Chinese people. “Such tactics from the CCP always backfire and eventually make the Chinese people suffer more,” said Mr. Ye.
