40,000-seater stadium fills out quickly as fans turn up in huge numbers to watch Lionel Messi and Inter Miami train ahead of pre-season clash

Hong Kong has caught the Lionel Messi fever, with all tickets for Inter Miami's open training session at a 40,000-seat stadium getting sold out quickly. The legendary Argentine faces Hong Kong XI in a friendly on Saturday, February 4, and fans are clearly excited to catch a glimpse of Messi.

Fans in Hong Kong are clearly eager to see the superstar, as they filled up the stadium hours before the Inter Miami superstar appeared for training:

The city celebrated the Barcelona legend's arrival with large billboards and LED screens. Accoding to GOAL, fans also crowded around the hotel where the team stayed as they hoped to see him. The frenzy around Lionel Messi has also led to road closures due to massive crowds.

Tickets for the friendly were snapped up in just an hour after they became available in December, and the stadium is expected to be packed to watch Messi. However, the superstar has been nursing a hamstring injury, with reports claiming that he might not play, but Inter Miami manager Tata Martino said (via GOAL):

"We will determine how long he can play depending on what happens in training tomorrow. But he will most certainly be on the pitch."

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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami slump to 6-0 defeat to Al-Nassr

The highly anticipated game between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on February 1 was affected by Ronaldo's absence due to injury, leaving fans disappointed.

However, the Portuguese legend was in the crowd, cheering his team on as they trounced Inter Miami 6-0. Messi came on late in the game, with only seven minutes remaining.

The game saw some remarkable moments, including a stunning long-range goal from former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, who scored from a free-kick inside his own half, catching Herons goalkeeper Drake Calender well off his line. Al-Nassr attacker Anderson Talisca was the star of the show with a hat-trick/

The Saudi Arabian side took control of the game early, leading 3-0 after 12 minutes. The scoring was opened by Otavio, followed by Talisca, before Laporte scored his remarkable effort from his own half.

Talisca's second goal came from a penalty, bringing the score to 4-0, before Mohammed Maran added a fifth with a header. Talisca rounded off the victory, completing his hat-trick, to conclude the 6-0 routing. Messi could not make a difference in his late cameo as his side slumped to a landslide loss, their third in four pre-season games.