2023-06-15 16:11:56
While Argentina and Australia clashed in Beijing, fans of the Argentine number 10 were out for this unique meeting.
Supporters massed in front of his hotel, a swarm of Argentine flags, a hideout on a staircase: the Messi Mania agitates Beijing in turmoil around a friendly match between world champion Argentina and Australia this Thursday.
Chinese fans and media only have eyes for Lionel Messi, winner last year in Qatar of the World Cup, the only trophy that was still missing from his huge list.
The frenzy wins Beijing before the match of Argentina. TINGSHU WANG/AI/Reuters/Panoramic
Thursday afternoon, thousands of supporters braved temperatures approaching 40°C, arriving at the Workers’ Stadium three hours before the kick-off given at 8 p.m. in this recently renovated enclosure.
Many came dressed in Argentina shirts emblazoned with Messi’s name and number 10. Others had smeared sky blue and white paint on their faces, or were enthusiastically waving Argentinian flags.
Lionel Messi electrifies crowds. THOMAS PETER / REUTERS
In front of the enthusiasm of the crowd, an important safety device was put in place so that the bus transporting the Albiceleste players can access the stadium without incident. “Messi is the greatest player of all timesaid Zhong Xiaoqing, a 40-year-old lawyer who came from Zhejiang province (eastern China), more than 1,000 kilometers from Beijing.
«I was totally hooked the first time I saw him play in 2005,” he told AFP. “It is a model for me.Beside him, Sun Bingxin, 29, who works in human resources, cannot contain his joy.
Read also“Two difficult years at PSG”: Messi finally honest, less class
«I kept this excitement inside me so much that now I want to cry with joy“, she told AFP before kick-off. “Any football fan in China would have liked to be here tonight (Thursday).” Same impression on the side of Liu Rui, a 24-year-old student, for whom attending the match is “like a dream come true». «In 40 years, I will be able to tell this to my grandchildren.he told AFP.
Since the arrival on Saturday in the Chinese capital of the sevenfold Ballon d’Or, hundreds of supporters waving Argentine flags and dressed in the star’s jerseys have gathered in front of the five-star hotel where the Argentine team is staying.
The Chinese in a pinch for Lionel Messi. WANG ZHAO / AFP
Along the street leading to the facility, security was tightened to contain the huge crowds trying to catch a glimpse of the 35-year-old as he left for training. A supporter recounts having discreetly entered the interior of the Four Seasons hotel in an attempt to see Lionel Messi and his teammates.
“I first hid in the janitor’s closet, then went up to the team floor via the fire escape“Explains the man to AFP, who gives only his last name, Lin. Spotted and questioned by hotel security, he was later released.
“It’s expensive, I know, but I would have had regrets…”
Another supporter, Li Weihua, said he flew in from the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen and went directly to the hotel to join the fans in attendance. He traveled 2,000 kilometers to Beijing without even having a ticket for the match, as these sold out very quickly. “I just wanted to feel the atmosphere“, explains the young man of 29 years.
17-year-old Huang Yongming, from the big city of Changchun (northeast), managed to get one of the tickets for the match, which was sold out. “I spent about 3,000 yuan (387 euros) for a ticket”, he told AFP. “It’s expensive, I know. But I told myself that if I didn’t take this opportunity, I would have regrets.»
Lionel Messi will soon join Inter Miami, in the United States, after spending two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain.
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