Inter Miami fans are demanding ticket refunds for the team’s match against Chicago Fire on Wednesday, after Lionel Messi did not appear in the match.
Messi, who joined Inter Miami in the summer, has been one of the club’s biggest signings in its history, and fans were eager to see him play in person.
He made an immediate impact for the Herons, transforming the statistically worst team to one of the best, helping them go on a 12-game unbeaten run and also claiming the Leagues Cup.
However, Messi was ruled out of the match with a muscle injury. This news was disappointing for fans, who had paid high prices for tickets to the match, expecting to see Messi play.
Since he returned from international duty in September with Argentina with an injury, things have gone downhill.
Fans’ fears were confirmed after Messi failed to travel with the team to Chicago on October 5.
In his absence, Miami were thoroughly beaten 4-1 but there was less concern about the result.
As spotted by BR Football, some fans – believed to be Herons supporters – displayed a placard demanding a refund after the former Barcelona captain, who they came to watch, missed out.
“We all got robbed, we want our money back,” the placard reads.
📍—Chicago
When you buy an expensive ticket to see Messi and the 🐐 is injured pic.twitter.com/gIfKQCB0Un
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 5, 2023
According to Ticket Smarter, an average singles ticket to the game costs $194, on top of travel expenses to an away game with over 1,000 kilometres separating the two cities.
Messi has been missing in action since walking off of Miami’s 4-0 win over Toronto FC in the 37th minute due to muscle fatigue.
However, he is expected to get minutes on the clock against FC Cincinnati before the October international break.
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