Lionel Messi won’t play every game for Inter Miami. Just ask Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps FC fans.
While the 37-year-old can still impress, his body isn’t the same as it once was. Even at his peak with FC Barcelona, he didn’t have to travel the thousands of miles MLS teams do in a regular season.
Messi did not travel or play to face the Houston Dynamo on Sunday.
Head coach Javier Mascherano explained it wasn’t because of injury, but rather load-management in a packed schedule of MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup, and eventually FIFA Club World Cup duties.
It’s far from the first time it’s happened, frustrated fans across North America.
In 2023, the Chicago Fire simply offered ticket rebates for future games when he didn’t show up for the over 61,000 fans. The club offered $250 off season tickets the following year, or a $50 voucher., but many still weren’t pleased, even as Chicago won 4–1.
It leaves a looming question though: How do other clubs deal with it, especially after promoting his visit?
Vancouver Whitecaps absence prompted lawsuits
In 2024, the Whitecaps sold ticket packages that included some of the most highly touted games on the schedule. Alongside the Inter Miami match, were elite teams such as LAFC and LA Galaxy––they sold out on those, and brought in record attendance numbers for some of those games.
At the same time, they saw a bump in season ticket purchases up to 16,000, which went down to 12,000 in 2025 with no Miami scheduled. Still, that's a bump from the 9,000 sold in 2023.
