Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami: Hong Kong football star Shinichi Chan has claimed that he will give up on his dream of playing against Lionel if his country demands his services on the international stage.
Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami: MLS 2023-24
Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami, who currently employ Messi, will be going on their first international tour when they travel to Hong Kong and will play against the country’s select XI side on February 4, 2024.
The biggest name associated with this tour undoubtedly is the Argentinian legend. For several players in nations with low international football status, playing against Messi is more than just any other match. Playing against one of the GOATs would be a career highlight for the vast majority of professional footballers around the world.
Check Out: Lionel Messi MLS Stats And Updates
One such player, who ‘dreams’ of playing against Lionel Messi is Hong Kong left-wing player Shinichi Chan. The 21-year-old will most likely be part of the Select XI that will play against Inter Miami. This is what he said about the opportunity of playing against Messi –
“Sharing the pitch with Lionel Messi would be a dream, I do not think there would be words to describe the feeling. He is one of the best players ever, and I am a Barcelona fan, so it would be amazing, and something I would tell my grandkids about,”
But if the situation arises, Chan might willingly give up the opportunity to play against legendary footballers like Messi and Sergio Busquets.
Check Out: Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami
At the time of the friendly match, the knockout stages of the AFC Asian Cup will be taking place. The quarter-finals for the tournament will commence two days before the Inter Miami match, on February 2. In the same interview, Shinichi also claimed that he would prioritize his national duty over the chance of playing against the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
But I would choose still being in the Asian Cup over playing against Inter Miami. Our aim is to compete with the best nations in Asia and stay in the tournament as long as possible. For Hong Kong, the Asian Cup is our World Cup. As per Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami, Qualifying from our group, and making history, would be huge for the development of Hong Kong football. I would be very proud, and watching Inter Miami on television would be no problem,” said Shinichi Chan.
Check Out: Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami
While not the favorites of any kind, Hong Kong will be looking to at least make it to the knockout stages of the AFC Asian Cup. As per the Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami, Six groups of four teams each will compete in a round-robin, with the top two teams automatically making it to the round of 16. The four best third-place sides will also make it to the knockouts.
Hong Kong are in a challenging Group C of the tournament, where they are slotted in with strong contenders like Iran and United Arab Emirates (UAE), as Palestine rounds out the group. Hong Kong will be aiming for, at worst, a third-place finish in the group, which will also provide them with a strong chance to make it to the Round of 16.
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Lionel Messi To Tour Hong Kong With Inter Miami
AFC Asian Cup Fixtures And Updates
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