Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami colleagues made a cameo in Hong Kong, and fans went bananas.

Following back-to-back defeats to Al Hilal and Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia without Cristiano Ronaldo, Inter Miami continued their pre-season tour via plane. A star-studded lineup including Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets has landed in Hong Kong ahead of their match against Hong Kong XI on February 4.

According to GOAL, several fans waited only to catch a sight of Messi as Inter Miami went from the airport to their hotel. Road closures were also scheduled to accommodate the large number of fans attending the forthcoming event, and a small traditional boat with Messi’s face on the sail was sighted in Victoria Harbor.

Bus stations and LED displays throughout Hong Kong were adorned with advertisements for Inter Miami’s visit, while imitation Inter Miami shirts were peddled on the streets.

A local shop owner informed the South China Morning Post that 200 original Messi jerseys were sold at a record pace, with the products currently selling for up to $166. “Normally, it took half a year to sell out.” But this time in three months, we barely have one or two remaining in stock, with 70% of them sold in the last month.”

Tickets for Messi’s match sold out within an hour of being on sale in December, and ticket prices continue to rise significantly. The MLS team will also play Japanese club Vissel Kobe while in Asia before returning to the United States to begin the MLS 2024 season.