Lionel Messi was detained by Chinese police at Beijing airport. Here's what happened

Lionel Messi, the Argentinian captain, encountered a rather unusual circumstance when he was detained by Chinese officials at Beijing Airport prior to Argentina’s international friendly match against Australia, which will take place at the Workers Stadium on June 15th. Let’s see what the other media outlets have reported on this incident

According to media sources, Lionel Messi encountered an issue with the Chinese Border Police at the airport when he arrived in the country along with the entire Argentina squad for their upcoming friendly game against Australia at the Workers Stadium on June 15th. Upon his arrival in the country, He was questioned by the Chinese police. The issue reportedly arose due to a visa-related matter, as Messi mistakenly brought his Spanish passport instead of his Argentina passport, which lacked a valid Chinese visa.

Messi Faced a Visa Related Issue

According to reports, the discussion between Messi’s entourage and the authorities went on for 30 minutes but the situation was ultimately resolved, and as a result, Messi was handed an expedited visa which gave him the permission to go ahead along with his Argentinian team mates to their training ground. Messi also came to China when he was just 21 years old. He displayed his extraordinary skillset and talent and played a crucial role in helping Argentina to win an Olympic Gold Medal.

Following the match against Australia, Messi and his Argentina squad have another International fixture against Indonesia, which will take place at the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Central Jakarta on Monday, June 19. This game will ensure the end of Messi’s 2022-23 football season. Despite facing many challenges during his time at PSG, the 2022/23 season has been nothing but remarkable and memorable for Messi, as he finally achieved his lifelong dream of winning the World Cup. In an intense final against France in Qatar last year, Messi led Argentina to the victory in a penalty shootout.

After completing the international friendlies, and then enjoying a much-needed vacation for several weeks, Messi will be excited for an upcoming new phase in his illustrious career, which kicks off in July. As the Argentinian legend is set to join Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team which is owned by David Beckham, in the beautiful city of Miami. With his decision to not to renew his contract with PSG, Messi is bidding farewell to European football and will start a new adventure in the MLS. This move marks the end of his tenure with PSG, which began in 2021 following a remarkable tenure of nearly two decades with Barcelona in Spain.

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