Arrival in China worthy of a rock star for Lionel Messi

UPDATE DAY

Footballer Lionel Messi, hugely popular in China, arrived in Beijing on a private jet on Saturday for a friendly match, where the World Cup winner with Argentina was greeted by fans jubilantly. 

“Messi! Messi!”, chanted several hundred supporters who were waiting for him at the airport, wearing the blue and white striped jersey of No.10 Albiceleste, according to viral images posted on social networks.

< p>Several hundred others waited outside his hotel, not far from the banks of the Liangma River, popular with Beijingers for walks.

The supporters, calm and rather reserved at first, suddenly shouted the name of their idol in chorus when they thought they saw Lionel Messi's bus, AFP noted.

The champion's arrival in China in the world was the most discussed topic on the Weibo social network at midday.

“I absolutely want to see Messi!”, Wrote a user at the heart of other similar comments.

“I still feel the emotions of the match that dedicated Argentina to the World Cup”, underlined another in reference to the victory of the Albiceleste after a legendary final against France last December.

He This is Lionel Messi's 7th trip to China, the last dating back to 2017, according to local media.

World champion Argentina will play a friendly match against Australia on June 15 at the Stade of Beijing workers, just renovated and with a capacity of 68,000 spectators.

The meeting will mark the great return of international football in China, after three years of sanitary restrictions which have emptied the stadiums and resulted in a cascade of cancellations of sports competitions.

The shock will be a rematch of the round of 16 of the World Cup organized in Qatar at the end of 2022, where Argentina won 2-1 against the Socceroos .

Lionel Messi, who chose to leave Paris Saint-Germain to pursue his career at Inter Miami, will also play another friendly match, against Indonesia in Jakarta on June 19, in the part of this Asian tour.