Beijing: Renowned football icon Lionel Messi faced a temporary detention by Chinese police at the Beijing airport. The Argentine player, who was scheduled to participate in Argentina’s friendly match against Australia at the Workers Stadium, encountered confusion due to his failure to carry his Argentine passport.
Under normal circumstances, holders of Argentine passports are exempt from obtaining a visa to enter China. However, Messi arrived with a Spanish passport, which does not grant entry to China without a visa. Recognising this discrepancy, the authorities detained Messi for two hours. Following the necessary visa approval process, Messi was eventually permitted to proceed with his travel plans. Argentine citizens can travel to 170 countries visa-free or on a visa-on-arrival basis.
China remains one of the nations that exempts Argentines from visa requirements. Lionel Messi, who possesses citizenships in Argentina, Spain, and Italy, arrived in China with his Spanish passport, inadvertently leading to the temporary setback at the airport.
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