Messi hopeful to play against Vissel Kobe after Hong Kong debacle

Lionel Messi has proclaimed that he is hopeful to be fit enough to face Vissel Kobe on Wednesday. Inter Miami is ending its tour of Asia this week after four friendlies on the continent. The excursion has not gone as planned for the superstar, Miami and Major League Soccer.

Messi and company were previously beaten by Saudi Arabian duo Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr in their first games of the tour. Not only did Miami lose the matches, but Cristiano Ronaldo did not feature in the latter match. Fans were not thrilled as many hoped to see the two superstars face off one last time.

Although Miami got back on track with a win against a Hong Kong XI, Messi missed the match due to a groin injury. Fans inside the stadium were upset that they could not watch the Argentine play. They even loudly protested for a refund throughout the fixture.

Following the fiasco, rumors quickly began to surface that Miami would cancel the final leg of its tour and return to the United States. After all, the MLS side planned its lengthy visit abroad to highlight Messi’s massive following. Nevertheless, Miami is still set to play Vissel Kobe before heading home.

Superstar speaks publicly on the issue in a rare press conference

Messi, a player who rarely speaks publicly now, attended a press conference on Tuesday regarding the upcoming game. Undoubtedly under pressure to make an appearance in Japan, the superstar hinted that he should play in the match.

“The truth is that I feel very good compared to a few days ago,” Messi told reporters. “And depending on how that [training] goes. And if I’m honest, I still don’t know if I will be able to or not. But I feel much better, and I really want to be able to do it.”

Along with providing an update on his fitness, Messi also addressed the unfortunate incident in Hong Kong. “The truth is that it was bad luck that I couldn’t [play] on the day of the Hong Kong match,” continued the World Cup winner.

“Unfortunately, in football, things can happen in any game, that we may have an injury. It’s a shame because I always want to participate. I want to be there and even more so when it comes to these games when we travel so far, and people are so excited to see our matches.”

“I hope we can return, and we can play another game and I can be present,” Messi said on possibly returning to Hong Kong. “As I do whenever I can. But the truth is that it is a shame that I was not able to participate.”

Miami’s final Asian tour friendly will not air on Apple

While Miami will play its scheduled matchup with Vissel Kobe, Apple has decided not to stream the game here Stateside. The massive tech company previously revealed that they would have all of the club’s Asian tour friendlies available on MLS Season Pass. However, issues with the promoter in Japan have prevented any world feed from being available. Therefore, Apple will not have live feeds to show its global audience.

Miami, and hopefully Messi, is set to face Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 5 a.m. ET. The MLS side will then finish off its preseason preparations against Newell’s Old Boys on Feb. 15 in Miami. Messi previously played for the Argentine club before moving to Barcelona in 2000.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.