Current location:Stellar Signals news portal > politics
Argentina wins friendly match as fans give warmest of welcomes in Beijing
Stellar Signals news portal2024-05-08 01:22:04【politics】0People have gathered around
IntroductionArgentina's Lionel Messi tries to maneuver around Australia's Kye Rowles during a friendly match at
Argentina's Lionel Messi tries to maneuver around Australia's Kye Rowles during a friendly match at Workers' Stadium on Thursday in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]
From the sea of fans at the airport when they landed, to the deafening cheers at the packed Workers' Stadium on Thursday, megastar Lionel Messi and the World Cup-winning Argentina soccer squad were given the warmest of welcomes in Beijing.
Messi thrilled the more than 50,000 spectators at Workers' Stadium on Thursday night by scoring the first goal only 81 seconds after the match kicked off. German Pezzella scored Argentina's second goal, at 68 minutes, to secure the team's 2-0 victory in the friendly match against Australia.
"I can't even remember how many times I have come to China," Messi told the weekly newspaper Titan Sports through an interpreter. "Chinese fans' love for me remains the same, and the fans are very kind to me. I'm so happy to be here."
Thursday's game was the first time the Argentine squad have played a match in a foreign country since winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year. Messi and his teammates were thrilled to play in front of Chinese fans.
Argentina defender Nicolas Tagliafico wrote on Chinese social media: "Thanks to all our fans for your warmest welcome. Love you all, my Chinese football fans. In love with Beijing."
Since Saturday, when Messi and his teammates arrived in Beijing, Chinese fans had showed great enthusiasm. Fans took every possible opportunity to see the team, with large crowds angling for photographs and chanting Messi's name outside the team's hotel and on the sidewalk, where fans could see the team's bus.
Thursday's match attracted massive media attention and generated trending topics on social media platforms. For example, hashtag "Messi scored in 81st second" became the top trending topic on Sina Weibo, resulting in more than 40 million views by Thursday night.
"It's a dream come true for many fans that Argentina's national team could come to China," Sabino Vaca Narvaja, Argentina's ambassador to China, told China Central Television.
"Our team has been accompanied by many people outside hotels, on the streets and nearly everywhere. I'm astonished by the passion.
"Sports is the best ambassador of our country, especially soccer," he added. "The arrival of our national soccer team is just a start. We are going to have more cooperation in the future."
This is the eighth time that Messi has come to China. His popularity soared anew after he led Argentina to win the World Cup title last year.
Messi visited China for the first time in 2004 when he was 17 years old, and he participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning a gold medal with Argentina's national team.
"The most important thing for people to do is what he or she loves. We are doing what we love, which is playing soccer," Messi told Titan Sports. "Looking at my age, I know a sports career is very short. Time flies. The important thing is to enjoy every moment."
Address of this article:http://paracelislands.whetstonetavern.com/content-39a199863.html
Very good!(52)
Related articles
- DeLuca stays hot with homer and 4 RBIs as Rays beat Clevinger and White Sox 8
- United Methodists prepare for votes on lifting LGBTQ bans and other issues at General Conference
- Chinese FM meets with chairman of MSC Foundation
- Songs of celebration hail anniversary
- Top clubs urge Brazil's soccer federation to suspend league matches because of flooding
- UN human rights chief condemns killings of women and children in Rafah
- Nvidia to buy Israeli AI company for estimated $700M
- At least 15 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah
- Malaysian government defends presence of companies that supply weapons to Israel at defense show
- Trial starts in conspiracy
Popular articles
Recommended
ABC News president Kim Godwin steps down
Chinese foreign ministry official on US Secretary of State Blinken's visit to China
Hamas official says no agreement with Israel if war continues in Gaza
Pakistani FM Ishaq Dar designated deputy PM
How major US stock indexes fared Monday, 5/6/2024
Finnish carrier suspends Estonia flights after GPS interference prevents 2 landings
3 dead, 4 missing in explosion at Italy power station
Chinese, PNG FMs hold in
Links
- 4th Int'l garden festival kicks off in Beijing
- Iraq repatriates nearly 700 more citizens linked to the Islamic State group from a Syrian camp
- Strawberry Music Festival to be held at Beijing Expo Park
- Video reviews have changed the face of European soccer. One country is holding out
- EU tightens visa requirements for Ethiopians over a lack of government cooperation on deportations
- New Godzilla x Kong film tops Chinese box office
- Wu Lei brace sees China cruise past Singapore
- Former head of Chinese Football Association sentenced to life
- US returns 38 pieces of cultural objects to China
- China starts building phase II of spallation neutron source to help boost sci