“Is Taiwan not China?” – When Lionel Messi was forced to ask controversial question on last visit to China as Inter Miami prepare for friendlies
As Lionel Messi and Inter Miami gear up for friendlies in China next month, memories of his last visit are resurfacing, when he notably asked a rather controversial question.
This journey comes after Inter Miami disappointingly failed to make the MLS playoffs. The team is slated to face Chinese Super League outfits Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng, and expectations are high for a massive turnout.
Before Messi's blockbuster move to MLS, the Argentinian was in China playing a friendly against Australia. However, that visit was not without its complications. A video circulated on social media showing Messi being stopped at border control at Beijing Capital Airport. The issue was that he had a Spanish passport.
Lionel Messi spent the bulk of his career with Barcelona, earning him Spanish citizenship, but he's originally from Argentina. During this particular trip, Messi was on the move with only his Spanish passport despite the trip's objective being to represent Argentina.
This led to a two-hour hold-up and reportedly sparked a controversial query from Messi (via Sport Bible):
"Is Taiwan not China?"
Travelers with a Spanish passport can enter Taiwan without a visa for stays under 90 days, but that same rule doesn't apply to mainland China. Messi was eventually granted a fast-track visa and went on to contribute to Argentina's 2-0 victory.
The geopolitical situation between China and Taiwan has generally been peaceful in recent times but there have been tensions between the two nations in the past.
Lionel Messi brushes off spitting incident in Argentina's clash with Paraguay
During Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay, the reigning champs skated by with a 1-0 victory but not without controversy. Returning from an injury, Messi was pulled off the bench to hold Argentina's lead, established early on by a Nicolas Otamendi goal.
However, the real headline emerged when Antonio Sanabria seemed to have spat on the Argentine legend. After the match, Lionel Messi was asked about an alleged spitting incident involving the Paraguayan. He said (via Sport Bible):
“They told me that someone spat at me in the locker room, I didn't see it. The truth is that I don't even know who this boy is. I don't want to give him any importance either because he'll talk about it and become known.”
On the other hand, Antonio Sanabria has confirmed that he did not spit on Lionel Messi. Both players were in Barcelona back in 2012 when the Paraguayan reportedly trained with the first team and could have met the Argentine.