A Messi frenzy swept across Beijing in the hours leading up to a sold-out exhibition match on Thursday evening in the Chinese capital between the world champions Argentina and the runners-up, Australia.
Today, at six o’clock in the evening Bangladesh Standard Time (BST), the friendly match between the reigning world champions Argentina and Australia will get underway.
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the best footballer of all time and the player who raised the World Cup trophy for Argentina in December, was the focus of everyone’s attention.
Ever since their hero touched down in China on Saturday, hundreds of Chinese fans have gathered outside of the team’s luxurious hotel waving Argentinian flags and wearing Messi shirts. These fans are Messi’s biggest supporters in China.
When the squad goes for training, crowds line the streets, even though they are tightly guarded, in the hopes of catching a sight of the 35-year-old player.
Even if the individual in question has avoided the spotlight, there is still a lot of excitement around this topic.
The story of a fan who spent the night at the Four Seasons hotel in an attempt to gain an up-close meeting with Lionel Messi and his colleagues was told by a fan who was not afraid to take risks.
“At first, I hid in the janitor’s closet, and then I went up to the team’s floor through the fire escape staircase,” the guy, whose surname was Lin, said to AFP. “It was a lucky break.”
After being questioned, he was eventually freed by the hotel’s security staff.
Another supporter named Li Weihua said that he flew all the way from his hometown of Shenzhen in southern China, directly to the hotel after getting off the plane.
He does not even have a ticket for the game, which will take place at the Workers’ Stadium, which has a capacity of 68,000 and sold out quite rapidly.
“I just want to feel the environment,” said the 29-year-old, who had never been to Beijing before recently. “I’ve never been to China before.”
Huang Yongming, who is just 17 years old and is from the city of Changchun in the region’s northeast, was more successful in acquiring a ticket.
According to what Huang shared with AFP, the price of a ticket came to around $419 (or 3,000 yuan). “I am aware that it is expensive, but I felt that if I didn’t seize the opportunity, I would be kicking myself later on,” she said.
Even though the game didn’t start until 8:00 pm (1200 GMT) and it was still rather early in the day, a few diehards had braved the blazing heat to stake out their spots at the stadium.
After spending the last two years with Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi is getting ready to sign with Inter Miami.