The British Columbia Supreme Court approves a CAD $475,000 ($347,000 USD) settlement from the Vancouver Whitecaps and Major League Soccer in a class-action lawsuit stemming from Lionel Messi’s absence in a promoted 2024 regular-season game.
Build-Up to the Inter Miami Match
In spring 2024, ahead of Inter Miami’s away fixture against the Whitecaps on May 25, marketing heavily featured eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, alongside former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. Ticket prices surged, reflecting high demand for Messi’s first full MLS season. The Whitecaps organized street parties, billing them as the club’s largest ever, anticipating a crowd surpassing the 32,465 at their 50th anniversary game earlier that month.
Sudden Player Absences
Two days before kickoff, news broke that Messi, Suarez, and Busquets would skip the six-and-a-half-hour trip to Vancouver. Whitecaps chief executive Axel Schuster announced on the club’s website: “While we haven’t received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand they will not make this trip.”
Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino explained the decision prioritized player health for upcoming home games, stating the need to “safeguard the health” of his squad. Miami still won 2-1 without their stars.
The Whitecaps responded with remedies, including 50% off stadium food, child meal vouchers for under-18s, and free tickets to future regular-season games for some holders.
Fan Backlash and Lawsuit
Fans expressed frustration over Messi-centric promotions driving premium prices. Rachele Renzi, who spent $335 on a Ticketmaster ticket for her brother Samuele—a Messi fan traveling 5,545 miles from Italy—said: “My brother is a huge Messi fan and he’s very sad. I paid a premium price on the back of the advertising on the club social media, website and coverage in the media. The reason they sold out the stadium is because of Messi.” She called for partial refunds, deeming food discounts insufficient.
British Columbia resident Ho Chun filed the class-action suit, claiming he paid $404 for two tickets influenced by promotions implying the stars’ participation across billboards, ads, social media, and Whitecaps/MLS sites. The suit alleged a “bait-and-switch” tactic inflating prices tenfold and violated consumer protection laws and contracts.
Settlement Details and Court Approval
The defendants denied liability but settled to avoid further costs. The agreement donates CAD $475,000 to charities KidSport BC, Canada SCORES, and BGC South Coast BC, minus $156,000 in legal fees and a $1,500 honorarium for Chun, leaving a substantial sum for the organizations.
Consumer protections include revised Whitecaps ticketing terms stating rosters and participation cannot be guaranteed, with player depictions for reference only. These terms now appear prominently on the club’s website and Ticketmaster pages.
B.C. Supreme Court communications officer Bruce Cohen confirms the settlement approval. A Whitecaps spokesperson states: “The settlement of the class action lawsuit relating to the club’s May 25, 2024, MLS regular season match against Inter Miami CF has today received approval of the British Columbia Supreme Court. The settlement will be implemented in accordance with the terms in the settlement agreement.”
Justice Andrew Majawa described the settlement as “fair,” noting lead plaintiff Ho Chun faced online vitriol: “This misinformation or disinformation will remain on the internet and be associated with him forever. Being subject to such negative online criticism may discourage people from putting themselves forward as representative plaintiff. It is one of the risks that they undertake in this day and age.”
