Lionel Messi’s passport crisis in China! Waited for hours…

Lionel Messi almost got into trouble with Chinese border guards when he used his Spanish passport instead of his Argentine one.

Messi arrived in Beijing at the weekend on a private jet with Argentine soccer player Ángel Di María and his bodyguard. He traveled to the country over the weekend to attend the national team camp in preparation for a friendly match.

Social media users shared a video of Messi talking to friends while holding onto his passport. Local media claimed that the problem arose because Messi used a Spanish passport instead of an Argentine one.

“TAIWAN, NOT CHINA?”

Thinking that Taiwan was included in China, Messi thought that he could visit the country with a Spanish passport. “Isn’t Taiwan China?” he was heard asking.

Without his Argentine passport, Messi was held by local border guards. After the issue was resolved, Messi was granted a visa and allowed through after a two-hour delay.

This trip will be Messi’s seventh visit to China. One of his previous six visits was for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he helped the star-studded Argentine team win.

MATCH WITH AUSTRALIA

World champions Argentina will play a friendly against Australia on Thursday at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing. Four days later, they will play another game in the south, against Indonesia.

After these matches, Messi is expected to take a short break. The star player, who will join his new club Inter Miami in July, is preparing to say goodbye for a while to his national duties.

The 35-year-old footballer, who preferred to transfer to MLS ignoring the interest of his former club Barcelona and Saudi Arabia, is preparing for his new adventure.