<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Messi mania gripped Beijing ahead of a sell-out friendly on Thursday evening between world champions Argentina and Australia in the Chinese capital.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All eyes were on Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest footballer of all time and who lifted the World Cup for Argentina in December.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hundreds of Chinese fans waving Argentinian flags and wearing Messi jerseys have massed outside the team's luxury hotel ever since their idol touched down on Saturday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Crowds have lined heavily guarded streets hoping to catch a glimpse of the 35-year-old each time the team go for training.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The man himself has kept a low profile, but that has done little to dampen enthusiasm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One daring fan recounted his tale of spending the night inside the Four Seasons hotel in a bid to get a close encounter with Messi and his teammates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"I first hid in the janitor's closet, then went up to the team's floor through the fire escape staircase," the man, surnamed Lin, told AFP.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He was questioned by hotel security before being released.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another fan, Li Weihua, said that he had flown from his home city of Shenzhen in southern China, heading straight to the hotel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He does not even have a ticket for the match at the 68,000-capacity Workers' Stadium, which was quickly sold out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I just want to feel the environment," said the 29-year-old, who had never been to Beijing before now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Huang Yongming, 17, from the northeastern city of Changchun, was more successful in getting a highly coveted ticket.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I spent around 3,000 yuan ($419) for a ticket," Huang told AFP. "I know it's expensive, but I thought that if I didn't take the opportunity, I would regret it."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A smattering of fans had already started to gather at the stadium, even with the 8:00 pm (1200 GMT) kickoff several hours away and the sun beating down.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Messi is set to join Inter Miami after two years at Paris Saint-Germain. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>