[Telegram Chat] - MESSI: NO-SHOW OR GAME ON?

Prior to his brief stopover in the republic back in 2017, a thigh injury ruled the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner out of a friendly match held at the Shah Alam Stadium in 2013.

Since then, the Inter Miami star has also missed matches in both Hong Kong and Indonesia, despite being heavily promoted as the star attraction of these fixtures.

A RISKY PROMOTION FOR SINGAPORE?

Messi’s non-appearances have not only disappointed thousands who longed to see him in person but also placed considerable financial strain on some who paid astronomical ticket prices - not to mention the time spent on long travelling just to fulfil a lifelong dream.

Lionel Messi in action for Argentina (file snap)

Such unforeseen circumstances could also be a nightmare for any marketing or PR personnel, as they would have scraped the bottom of the barrel looking for solutions to manage such a crisis.

It will be interesting to see how the match is promoted, given the considerable risk of one of the game's greatest not turning up at Kallang.