Argentina-Spain Dual Passport Holder Messi
Previously Entered Spain and Taiwan Visa-Free
Incident When Showing Spanish Passport in China
Argentina's 'Football God' Lionel Messi (36) experienced an incident where he was trapped at a Chinese airport.
Messi arrived in Beijing on the 10th to prepare for a friendly match against Australia to be held in China on the 15th (local time). He arrived on a private plane with his national team teammate ?ngel Di Mar?a, bodyguards, and friends.
An incident occurred where Argentine football player Messi was temporarily trapped at a Chinese airport due to visa issues. [Photo source= SNS capture]
According to British media such as the Daily Mail and The Sun on the 12th, Messi was surrounded by several public security officers at Beijing airport. A video showing Messi holding his passport and trying to explain but seemingly unable to communicate spread on social media. Messi appeared confused, looking around anxiously.
The reason was a visa issue. Messi, who holds dual Argentine-Spanish nationality, had left his Argentine passport behind and presented his Spanish passport instead, which led to the awkward situation.
Lionel Messi (36, Argentina), known as the "God of Soccer," was temporarily trapped at a Chinese airport in an unexpected incident. [Photo by Daily Mail]
Messi had previously entered Taiwan visa-free using his Spanish passport and thought he could also enter China without a visa using the Spanish passport.
According to British media, Messi reportedly said, "Isn't Taiwan part of China?"
He mistakenly believed Taiwan was part of China, but Spain and China do not have a visa-free agreement.
Although it was clearly Messi's mistake, from China's perspective, which emphasizes the 'One China' principle and does not officially recognize Taiwan as a country, it was rather a welcome response.
However, to see Messi, numerous Chinese fans gathered outside the Argentine accommodation hotel, causing Messi to be temporarily trapped in the hotel again. The Argentine national team could not leave the hotel for safety reasons and adjusted the training time to be later. [Photo by AP·Yonhap News]
In the end, Messi had to wait for a long time sitting on a chair at the airport. After waiting for an additional two hours, he was issued a visa with the help of Argentine officials. Fortunately, he passed the immigration inspection and arrived at the hotel.
However, as numerous Chinese fans gathered outside the hotel where the Argentine team was staying to see Messi, he was temporarily trapped in the hotel again. For safety reasons, the Argentine team could not leave the hotel and had to reschedule their training to a later time.
Meanwhile, the local excitement is intense as Messi visits China for the first time in six years. Advertisements are circulating claiming that "if you pay 300,000 yuan (54 million won), you can have dinner with Messi." There are also ads stating that "if you pay 8,000 yuan (1.4 million won), you can get Messi's autograph." [Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]
Moreover, the Chinese mainland heated up to see Messi, who came to China for the first time in six years. Online advertisements are circulating claiming "If you pay 300,000 yuan (54 million KRW), you can have dinner with Messi." There are also ads saying "If you pay 8,000 yuan (1.4 million KRW), you can get Messi's autograph." Of course, all these ads are fake.
Meanwhile, Messi, who recently ended his contract with Paris Saint-Germain in France, announced his transfer to Inter Miami in the United States.
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