It doesn’t look like the Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be issuing refunds after Lionel Messi was a no-show this past Saturday for a game at BC Place.
There was a lot of hype the Argentinian soccer legend would be coming to Vancouver, but he and two other Inter Miami CF teammates never made the trip, leaving thousands of fans heartbroken.
In an email to CityNews, the club says it first learned the trio wouldn’t be coming last Thursday and told ticketholders via a statement.
“Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent, and it was important for us to communicate to our fans as soon as possible,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC CEO.
The soccer club added, “Following the statement, the club confirmed on Saturday that all fans in attendance would receive a complimentary ticket for a future MLS regular season game in 2024.”
However, the CEO did not mention whether anyone would be getting their money back.
More than 50,000 people attended Saturday’s 2-1 loss, with many paying hundreds of dollars on inflated ticket prices to see Messi and his team mates.
Earlier this week, an online petition was started as fans demanded a refund.
Organizer Rachele Renzi told CityNews she started it after her brother flew in from Italy for the game and was left gutted by the experience.
“I understand that they don’t have control over player availability, but they have control over the ticket prices and the way that they inflated the ticket prices was not cool.”
She added her brother paid $335 for one ticket, and an additional $1,200 to fly to Vancouver.
“I think it was just a big disappointment for everybody and I hope this doesn’t happen again.”
The petition is still garnering signatures and is calling for fair ticket pricing, transparency and policy changes.