Police on Thursday said they will close roads around Hong Kong Stadium over the weekend while football superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates are in town for a pre-season friendly against an SAR squad from the local premier league.

Messi and Inter Miami will arrive in Hong Kong on Friday and will take part in an open training session on Saturday evening, with the match the following day.

Officers said they expect around 40,000 people to head to the stadium over the two days, and there will be road closures in Causeway Bay, Tin Hau and areas near the stadium from 2pm on Saturday.

"There are many famous international football stars coming to Hong Kong for this major event. Many people may be really excited about going there and seeing them in person. However, the roads in that area are very narrow and there are a lot of vehicles. So for safety purposes, I don't recommend people to gather in these places and chase after them as it can be dangerous," said divisional commander Yau Chuen-fai.

Police said people without tickets will not be allowed to go near the stadium, including areas around Caroline Hill Road, Eastern Hospital Road and Cotton Path.

Yau said the stadium will open three to three-and-a-half hours in advance on both days to allow ticket holders to enter early, adding that people should use public transport to get there.