SportsSoccerWhitecaps

Will Messi show up for Vancouver Whitecaps match at BC Place? Here's what we know so far

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
|
Apr 22 2025, 11:10 pm
Will Messi show up for Vancouver Whitecaps match at BC Place? Here's what we know so far
Dale Zanine/Imagn Images

Are things about to get… Messi?

That’s something that everyone, including the Vancouver Whitecaps, wants to know.

Lionel Messi’s club team, Inter Miami CF, is scheduled to play at BC Place on Thursday. But as we found out last year, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play, or even board a plane to Vancouver.

There are some differences from last year, though. For starters, it’s a semi-final match in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The winner of this tournament will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup, and that’s a big deal.

Secondly, the Whitecaps aren’t pushovers anymore. Vancouver is the surprise of MLS so far this season, currently sitting first place in the overall standings.

But that still doesn’t mean Messi will play.

The 37-year-old Argentinian soccer legend has played the full 90 minutes in each of his last five matches, played in a span of 18 days. Messi was seen walking off the pitch with a limp following Saturday’s match in Columbus, but his coach Javier Mascherano downplayed it post-game.

“As far as I know, nothing happened. He came off fine,” Mascherano said, per Amanda Langell of Sports Illustrated. “I didn’t see him walk off, but I saw him in the dressing room. As far as I know, there’s nothing. I’ll ask the medical staff, but they haven’t told me anything.”

On Monday, Inter Miami CF posted photos from training that included an image of Messi. Same thing on Tuesday. That seems like a good sign.

We’ll surely learn more Wednesday night when Inter Miami is scheduled to train in Vancouver.

“I hope everybody understands there’s only so much that we can do to find out,” Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said last week.

“[Inter Miami] will not share with us anything to give us any advantage for that game because the game of Miami is obviously very different if he shows up and plays or not.”

Ticket prices for the match are currently cheaper than last year — though expect that to change if we get confirmation of Messi’s status. As of Tuesday afternoon, the lowest-priced ticket was $68.25 on Ticketmaster.

Messi or not, over 54,000 people are expected to attend — a season-high for the Whitecaps.

ADVERTISEMENT