Ticket refunds for Messi no-show in HK to be processed by May

Disappointed soccer fans, some of whom had reportedly paid up to HK$5,000 ($639) to watch an exhibition match in Hong Kong in which Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi failed to play, will have until April 12 to accept a 50-percent refund on their tickets.

Tatler Asia, the organizer of the match, said on Monday that customers who bought tickets through official channels will have until 11:59 pm on April 12 to respond and accept the terms and conditions of the refund.

Messi's failure to play in the game sparked fury among Hong Kong fans and residents, with spectators taking their grievances to the city's consumer watchdog

Customers who purchased tickets through the official ticketing platform, Klook, will receive an email notification from Klook on March 18 while those who bought tickets directly from Tatler Asia will be contacted by their dedicated account manager.

Refunds will be processed within 30 days from the April 12 deadline and payment times may differ depending on the recipient's bank policy and process.

Tatler Asia earlier apologized for the fiasco that happened during a friendly match between Messi's Inter Miami CF team and Hong Kong players at Hong Kong Stadium on Feb 4.

The event drew nearly 40,000 local and overseas spectators but the Argentinian World Cup captain sat on the bench throughout the entire match due to a claimed muscle problem.

His failure to play in the game sparked fury among Hong Kong fans and residents, with spectators taking their grievances to the city's consumer watchdog.

Tatler said Inter Miami had promised in the contract that prominent players in its line-up, including Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez, would need to play at least 45 minutes in the Hong Kong friendly unless they were injured. However, the organizer was told at the end of the match that Messi and Suárez were unable to play.