Inter Miami CF earned the First victory

Inter Miami CF earned the first victory of their global preseason tour Sunday at Hong Kong Stadium, racing to a 4-1 win over the Hong Kong Team as Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez watched on due to injury concerns.

King Messi’s Inter Miami hits Hong kong kings

Messi was on the bench along with former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, but neither were brought on. There had been concerns that Messi, who made a substitute appearance in Miami’s 6-0 defeat at Al-Nassr on Friday, had a hamstring injury.

Lionel Messi’s three days of adulation in Hong Kong ended in heartbreak for his fans as the Argentine did not take to the field in Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against a local League XI in a friendly played in front of a sellout crowd on Sunday.

Addressing the media post game, head coach Tata Martino said Messi was dealing with adductor inflammation and Suárez had knee inflammation. Looking ahead to Inter Miami's regular-season opener on Feb. 21 vs. Real Salt Lake they opted not to risk the superstar forwards.

"We understand the fans’ disappointment in the absence of Messi and Suarez, and we apologize for that, but this was a decision made with our medical staff," Martino said post-game after a sold-out crowd of 40,000 flocked to see the Herons.

"If there was a way they could have played even a little while we would have done it, but there was too much risk involved."

Yet Inter Miami found a clinical touch in the final third, pouring four goals past the collection of Hong Kong league standouts. Robert Taylor (40'), Lawson Sunderland (50'), Leonardo Campana (56') and Ryan Sailor (85') all scored.

Another development: Inter Miami switched from their five-man backline to a 4-3-3 formation, a decision Martino acknowledged helped his players seem "more comfortable." And they largely competed without Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, though the other half of Inter Miami's Big Four entered as 62nd-minute substitutes.