• Loading stock data...
Monday, June 23, 2025

Not Every MLS Team Gets to Strike Gold With a Messi Visit

  • The Inter Miami star won’t travel to Saturday’s match in Vancouver.
  • Lionel Messi has already missed six MLS games this season.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Lionel Messi has propelled Major League Soccer to unprecedented heights since joining Inter Miami last summer. But while he may be seen as a superhero to many—and the biggest box-office hit the league has ever known—the reality is that he’s still human.

Soccer fans in Vancouver were set to get their first look at Messi in an Inter Miami uniform this weekend, until the Whitecaps announced late Thursday that the superstar would not be traveling with his club for Saturday’s match nearly 3,000 miles away. And neither would fellow former FC Barcelona standouts Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets. That’s putting the Canadian MLS side in a tricky position.

With Messi—the eight-time Ballon d’Or award winner—coming to town, a club-record MLS-era crowd had been expected to fill up BC Place. The stadium can hold up to 54,500 fans for soccer games if the upper deck is open, but last year averaged 16,745 for Whitecaps home games. Earlier this season, Vancouver broke its franchise attendance record as 32,465 fans showed up to celebrate the team’s 50th anniversary.

After it became apparent Messi and the other Miami stars wouldn’t be playing Saturday, the Whitecaps told fans they would be providing a 50% discount on all in-stadium food and beverage, with youth 18 and under getting one free kid’s meal combo. A small concession for the disappointed fan base. “Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent,” a club statement read.

Keeping Pace

Saturday’s match will be Inter Miami’s 16th of the MLS season, and seventh that Messi has missed. He dealt with a leg injury earlier this year, but his absence this weekend is apparently just a team decision to rest the star ahead of a busy summer schedule for Messi and other international players. 

It should also be noted that Vancouver plays on an artificial turf field—a stark difference from the grass surfaces Messi has spent nearly his entire professional career playing on. Messi has said artificial surfaces wouldn’t prevent him from playing any road matches, and he has played on multiple turf fields in MLS so far.

Inter Miami, which has the best record in MLS with 31 points in its first 15 games, has a home match against Atlanta United on Wednesday. The Copa America, in which Messi will play for Argentina, begins June 20. MLS does not take an international break like other leagues, so clubs carry on without some top players. In July and August, Miami will have the Leagues Cup on top of its MLS schedule.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; SL Benfica forward Evangelos Pavlidis (14) in action with Auckland City FC defender Christian Gray (4) during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Inter&Co Stadium.

Day Jobs, Weekly Stipends: Behind the Club World Cup’s Only Amateur Team

“We’ve never been in this for the financial reward.”

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
Jul 7, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson (28) react after striking out during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium.

Former Yankee Josh Donaldson Wins $222K in Lawsuit Against Landlord

Donaldson played the 2022 and 2023 seasons for the Yankees.

NBA Conference Gap Wider Than Ever Amid Injuries to East’s Best

A team from the West has won the NBA title 17 times since 2000.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.

Ryder Cup Gets Wilder As Bradley Could Play Dual Role

The biggest Ryder Cup ever might have another first.
Jun 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots the ball against Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley (13) during the first half of game six of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
June 20, 2025

Pacers’ Tony Bradley Has Made Just $330K This Year Despite Finals Run

Bradley was signed by the Pacers on March 2 to a 10-day contract.
Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.
June 23, 2025

Multiple NBA Title Contenders Will Reckon With Achilles Injuries Next Season

The NBA has seen its highest number of Achilles tears since 2014–15.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Mar 12, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) shoots the ball while USC Trojans guard Kevin Patton Jr. (8) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
June 20, 2025

Ace Bailey Cancels Sixers Workout a Week Before NBA Draft

The former Rutgers star is a projected top-three pick in Wednesday’s draft.
June 20, 2025

Hockey’s Best Player Enters Contract Year Noncommittal About Future

The superstar becomes a free agent next year absent a contract extension.
A pack of runners during the 129th running of the Boston Marathon at Heartbreak Hill in Newton, April 21, 2025.
June 18, 2025

Boston Marathon Qualifying Changes Target Downhill Racing Company

A new rule will apply time penalties to downhill races starting in 2027.
Noah Lyles
June 17, 2025

Tyreek Hill–Noah Lyles Race Is Off for ‘Personal Reasons’

Lyles and Hill agreed to a race in February with few concrete details.