Lionel Messi’s Brief Appearance in Kuaishou Livestream Spurs Discontent Among Netizens
On June 13, a live broadcast featuring Lionel Messi, world-renowned football player, on Kuaishou has been trending on Chinese social media, but not for the reasons the platform may have hoped. The stream has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among netizens, leading to a wave of criticism and accusations of deception.
The broadcast, which took place on June 12, was highly anticipated by fans who had been waiting for a long time to see Messi. However, the football superstar’s screen time was incredibly brief, lasting less than a minute. The host asked Messi a question about the UEFA Champions League final, which Messi answered. Immediately after, the live broadcast was abruptly ended.
“The day you came to China was the day of the UEFA Champions League final, did you watch the match?” the host asked.”
I did, it was a classic final, very tough, and of high level,” Messi responded.
With only this short exchange, the live broadcast featuring Messi came to an abrupt halt. Many netizens have since voiced their dissatisfaction, accusing the platform of misleading the audience and even fraud.
Despite the controversy, Messi is scheduled to appear in a livestream on June 14 in the Taobao live room of broadcaster Li Xuanzhuo, which is part of the Yao Wang company. This will be Messi’s only interaction with fans during his visit to China, and Taobao Live will be the exclusive platform for this event. News of Messi’s upcoming appearance has already had a significant impact on Yao Wang Technology’s stock, which surged by over 5.26% to ¥16.42 in intraday trading.
