Argentine footballer Lionel Messi encountered a delay at the Chinese border control when he arrived in Beijing using the wrong passport.
The renowned player traveled with his “bodyguard” and several friends, including international teammate Angel Di Maria, ahead of Argentina’s friendly match with Australia.
Upon arrival in China’s capital, border officials raised objections to the passport Messi was using.
According to Chinese media reports, the issue arose because Messi had used his Spanish passport instead of his Argentinian one.
Reports suggest that the 35-year-old used his Spanish passport under the assumption that Taiwan was part of China. He was heard asking the border officials, ‘Is Taiwan not China?’
After informing the officials that he did not have his Argentinian passport, it took approximately two hours for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to obtain a visa and resolve the issue to leave the airport.
However, Messi’s troubles continued as he was temporarily ‘trapped’ in his Beijing hotel with his Argentina teammates when a large number of fans gathered outside to meet him.
Hundreds of fans attempted to enter the hotel’s main entrance, and one devoted Messi fan spent over 10,000 yuan (£1120) on rooms just to catch a glimpse of his idol.
The commotion led to the delay of Argentina’s training session on Sunday due to safety concerns, making it impossible for the players to leave the hotel. However, they were able to train later in the day.
