From Being Detained at Airport to Scoring Fastest Argentina Goal: Lionel Messi’s Complicated History With China Uncovered After Inter Miami’s Cancelled Friendlies

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest soccer stars of all time, and his popularity transcends borders. The Argentine maestro recently bagged his record 8th Ballon d’Or title and registered his name in history once again. However, the unpredictable happens in soccer with no time frame, and the recent events for Inter Miami and Messi are no exception. Just when fans anticipated Messi’s involvement with Inter Miami’s China tour, the club announced the cancellation of friendlies.

They touted the reason associated with this sudden cancelation of the tour to be due to ‘unforeseen circumstances.’ While the news of cancelation leaves soccer enthusiasts disappointed, it provides us with a chance to uncover Messi’s complicated history with China, including a historic achievement he bagged on his last visit.

Lionel Messi was detained at the Beijing Airport!

In June 2023, just before Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami, the Argentine star found himself in unexpected trouble. As Messi landed at the Beijing Airport in China ahead of an exhibition-friendly match against Australia, Chinese Border Police detained him. They later reported the reason to be some ‘visa-related issue.’ However, the finer details provided a surprising glimpse into the life of Lionel Messi.

According to various reports, Lionel Messi allegedly used his Spanish passport rather than the Argentine one, which ultimately caused an issue. Notably, the Spanish passport doesn’t allow a visa-free entry into China, though their neighbor Taiwan allows a visa-free entry.

Now, Lionel Messi, seemingly misinformed, thought Taiwan was a part of China, leading him to not apply for a visa.

Apart from this mishap, the language barrier between the Chinese officials and the Argentine also added to the confusion. However, after 30 minutes of paperwork, they resolved the situation with the World Cup winner and granted an expedited visa. This unexpected chain of events at the airport was just the start of his memorable journey in China, as Messi was set to create history once again.

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Messi’s fastest goal in his career in China!

After the debacle at the airport, Messi, along with his Argentine teammates, squared off against Australia in a friendly match. With a staggering 67,000 people in attendance to witness the soccer star, Argentina cruised past their rivals in the match. Amazingly, Lionel Messi didn’t make the fans wait, as he scored in a flash of an eye.

In a matter of only 80 seconds into the match, the Argentina captain executed a beautifully bending shot that eluded the Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan and ended up in the back of the net. It was another record-breaking moment for Messi, as he scored the fastest goal of his illustrious career.

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With Messi scoring within moments after the start, it left the fans in the stadium chanting his name and cheering. It was a moment that highlighted the unpredictability of the game. Even though they called off Inter Miami’s scheduled friendlies in China, Messi’s history with the nation is filled with unforeseen twists and turns. All eyes will be on Lionel Messi when Inter Miami makes their next move.