Lionel Messi to make up for Hong Kong disaster?

Tokyo, February 6

Look for Lionel Messi to play in tomorrow’s friendly in Tokyo with Inter Miami facing Japanese club Vissel Kobe.

And don’t look for another public relations disaster as happened on Sunday when Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain sat on the bench for the entire match against a selection of players from the Hong Kong league, angering thousands of fans who demanded refunds.

Teammate Luis Suarez — another big name — also remained on the bench.

Messi, who has rarely spoken to the media in an open setting since moving in July to Inter Miami, showed up today at a news conference in a five-star Tokyo hotel. He sat alone on a stool on stage, wore a pink warm-up jacket, and showed a bit of humility.

He was surely under pressure from local Japanese sponsors, including Vissel Kobe where his former Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta became a Japanese crowd favorite before leaving last year.

“The truth is that I feel very good compared to a few days ago,” Messi said, speaking in Spanish. “And depending on how that (training) goes. And if I’m honest, I still don’t know if I will be able to or not. But I feel much better and I really want to be able to do it.”— AP