Hundreds of fans flock to catch glimpse of Lionel Messi ahead of Beijing arrival for friendly

Hundreds of Lionel Messi fans flocked to catch a glimpse of the Argentine football star in Beijing on Saturday (June 10) ahead of his team’s friendly match with Australia in the city.

The fans crowded in the lobby of Four Seasons hotel, many of them donning the star’s Number 10 jerseyas they awaited Messi's and his team’s arrival.

Messi announced on Wednesday (June 7) that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain over the summer to pursue a career with Inter Miami in the U.S., marking the end of a storied European career.

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“That’s his personality, I think. He’s not a player who wants to earn a lot of money, and he wants to think of his family… He loves Barcelona. He doesn’t want to play for any other club other than Barcelona," said 30-year-old Chinese fan Leo Liou, holding up a photograph of the Argentine team celebrating their World Cup win last year.

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At Barcelona, Messi has several records to his name at the club he did not want to leave, in a city he had called home since he was a teenager. But Messi had no choice in the manner of his exit from Barcelona in 2021 as the club failed to make it financially feasible to retain his services.

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