Nigeria, Argentina match moved from China to U.S. after Messi’s no-show in Hong Kong
Reigning world champions Argentina will now face Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a friendly match in the U.S. next month after Chinese authorities blocked the previous venue, the Argentine Football Association has announced.
“The team led by Lionel Scaloni will play against El Salvador and Nigeria on the tour of the United States in March,” the official X account of Argentina’s national team said on Thursday.
The two national teams have met several times in the FIFA World Cup and friendlies and will again tango at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States, on March 26.
The ‘La Albiceleste’ will take on the national team of El Salvador at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on March 22 in their second game of the U.S. tour.
The matches were earlier scheduled to take place in China.
The Chinese authorities cancelled them over Messi’s failure to feature in Inter Miami’s friendly match in Hong Kong, which resulted in a backlash from furious fans.
Messi has since apologised to Chinese fans over the incident, with Inter Miami claiming the World Cup winner had a groin injury which kept him out of the Hong Kong friendly.
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