Messi plays in Inter Miami loss to Vessel Kobe in Tokyo; Hong Kong still seethes at his absence

Lionel Messi's appearance in a friendly match in Tokyo angers fans in Hong Kong after his no-show at a previous game.

After leaving fans guessing about whether or not he would take to the pitch, Lionel Messi came on in the 60th minute in Inter Miami's friendly match in Tokyo on Wednesday, thrilling locals but angering fans in Hong Kong, where he failed to play at a weekend game.

The 36-year-old's no-show at the highly anticipated match in Hong Kong on Sunday caused a furore that has shown no sign of waning, with fans still demanding answers and a refund three days on.

Inter Miami's opponent, J-League champion Vissel Kobe, won Wednesday's match 4-3 in a penalty shootout after 90 minutes of play ended in a 0-0 draw. Messi, a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, did not take part in the shootout.

While the sold-out match in Hong Kong drew 40,000 fans, the Japan National Stadium was less than half full with just 28,614 in attendance.

"I couldn't help but start laughing when (Luis) Suarez, (Sergio) Busquets, (Jordi) Alba - all main players - were in the game," Tweety, a Hong Kong resident who watched Wednesday’s match online, told Reuters.

"Messi really likes the Japanese fans more by playing 30 minutes."

With no Messi on the pitch for the first half, the silence at the Tokyo stadium was deafening at times during the mostly uninspiring match.