Local soccer fans are furious after Messi snubs Vancouver

Lionel Messi isn’t just skipping Saturday’s match at BC Place, he’s skipping Vancouver altogether.

And so are two of his star teammates.

Fans that shelled out hundreds of dollars for tickets to see the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami CF will still see a soccer match. And with over 50,000 fans in attendance, it promises to be a great atmosphere.

But the main attraction won’t be there.

Along with Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets are also skipping Vancouver. They won’t even be on the bench. The team jumped on a flight to Vancouver today, but they stayed home.

None of them are injured, rather Miami has chosen to rest the trio with a mid-week match set for Miami next week. It’s a bush-league move by Inter Miami and Major League Soccer, and the Whitecaps are caught in the middle.

In response, the Whitecaps are offering half-priced food and drinks at the game.

Here’s what fans are saying:

Source