Lionel Messi’s failure to grace the pitch in Hong Kong left droves of fans disheartened, but the football icon has hinted at a potential return, this time on the Tokyo turf.
The star’s absence during the highly anticipated match at Hong Kong Stadium not only disappointed supporters but also sparked a PR crisis for his Major League Soccer side and local event organisers.
Addressing the media for the first time since the debacle during a press conference at a Tokyo hotel, Messi expressed his regret over missing the match, attributing it to swelling in his adductor muscle.
“In Hong Kong, we had an open-door training session, and I went out because there was such a big crowd there and there was a clinic with the kids, and I wanted to be there and participate.
“But the truth is that the discomfort was still there, and it was very difficult for me to…
