In a line-up announced just before kickoff, Lionel Messi will start the Inter Miami preseason friendly in Tokyo on the bench on Wednesday.

The World Cup-winning Argentine and the team’s co-owner, David Beckham, was heckled by tens of thousands of supporters when he did not play in a Sunday friendly in Hong Kong, which sparked the statement.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner stated that his leg injury was getting better during a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday, but he would not confirm if he would play in the match against Vissel Kobe of the J-League.

The US Major League Soccer (MLS) team’s worldwide preseason tour includes Japan as part of its itinerary. Tickets range in price from 10,000 yen ($68) to 200,000 yen ($1,346), with “special experience” packages costing more.

Nearly 40,000 people who had paid comparable prices for tickets to the game on Sunday in Hong Kong witnessed scenes of rage as Messi remained anchored to the bench during his team’s 4-1 victory over a local XI.

The organizers of the match, who had applied for public support for the event, were compelled to provide an explanation by the Hong Kong government. Following Messi’s absence, the organizers retracted their request for a government funding.

Miami had not won a preseason game in five years until their victory in Hong Kong.

They lost to FC Dallas, another MLS team, twice to Saudi Arabian clubs, and drew 0-0 in El Salvador.

Last Thursday in Saudi Arabia, Messi entered the game as a substitute six minutes before it ended.