Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez will not travel to Vancouver; Whitecaps offer food discounts to fans

Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez are expected to feature when Inter Miami return home for two matches next week before the international break. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Inter Miami will travel to Vancouver for Saturday night’s match against the Whitecaps without Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez.

The three stars are not injured, according to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald. The reason they left them behind is the combination of a long flight from Miami to Vancouver and a busy upcoming schedule that will see the Herons play three games – two at home – in eight days before the June international break .

Keeping their star players healthy is vital for Inter Miami this season. They currently lead MLS with 31 points in 15 games. Having Messi, Suárez, Busquets and Jordi Alba for a full season is essential in their quest to add more silverware in 2024 to go with their Leagues Cup title last summer.

Managing minutes and rest for Inter Miami stars has been a difficult challenge. Having Messi in their team is a cash cow, but with the Argentina star turning 37 next month and set to play in the Copa América this summer, the club must be wary of injuries which have already caused him to miss games for his tenure in MLS.

Messi’s traveling show means sold-out stadiums for other MLS teams — games that wouldn’t generate as much revenue if they had been against a different team. But when injury or rest forces Messi to sit out, it has a big impact on his opponents.

For the Whitecaps, they were ready to welcome 55,000 fans to BC Place on Saturday night, but disappointment is already setting in.

“While we have not received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand that they will not be making this trip. Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent, and it was important for us to communicate with our fans as quickly as possible,” Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said in a statement.

“We always want our best players to face our opponents’ best players, and facing players of the highest pedigree was particularly exciting for our team. We know there will be a lot of disappointed fans too. We remain committed to making this experience special for everyone. It will still be an incredible atmosphere and celebration of football for our city. We have incredible fans, we have a good team and Saturday’s game is a very important home game for us.”

As for Whitecaps fans attending the match on Saturday night, the club has planned “the biggest street party in the team’s history” and all stadium food and drinks will be 50% off. Children under 18 will receive “a free children’s combo meal.”

This isn’t the first time an MLS team has had to try to make amends with their fans due to Messi’s absence.

In September, the Chicago Fire looked forward to 61,000 fans filling Soldier Field, but the Inter Miami star did not play due to injury. The club offered fans in attendance a $250 credit toward 2024 season tickets.

After Saturday’s match in Vancouver, Inter Miami will face Atlanta on May 29 and St. Louis on June 1. The MLS regular season will resume after the international break on June 15.