Indonesian football enthusiasts were left disheartened as Lionel Messi, the acclaimed Argentine footballer, withdrew from an eagerly anticipated friendly match. The unexpected news caused a wave of disappointment and frustration among passionate fans who were eagerly anticipating witnessing the legendary player in action.
The scheduled friendly match, which was set to take place in Jakarta, had garnered significant excitement across Indonesia. Supporters had flocked to the stadium, eagerly hoping to witness Messi’s mesmerizing skills and unmatched talent on the field. However, their anticipation quickly turned to disappointment as news broke that Messi would no longer be participating in the match.
People have rushed to snap up more than 60,000 tickets for the sell-out Monday clash between Indonesia and World Cup winners Argentina after Messi’s face was plastered across advertising for the event.
But following days of speculation, fans in the football-mad country received bad news on Thursday that their hero would not play.
“I’m feeling sad and disappointed, mixed emotions,” 31-year-old shop owner Surya Wijaya Ang told AFP from the remote island of Banda Neira in the eastern province of Maluku.
He is planning to take a boat to the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon before catching a four-hour flight to Jakarta to attend the match.
Ang sold seven shirts from his wider jersey collection to pay for the 1.2 million rupiah ($80) match ticket, a steep price in the lower-middle-income country.
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