Lionel Messi frustration for 50,000 fans in Canada! Vancouver Whitecaps claim Inter Miami travelling without superstar captain, Luis Suarez & Sergio Busquets

The Herons are due to make a 2,900-mile trip north of the U.S. border on Saturday for their latest MLS fixture. Supporters in Vancouver had been hoping to catch the live Messi experience when that travelling circus rolls into their part of the world.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!

Stream games now

The Whitecaps have, however, warned fans that former Barcelona stars Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets will not be in attendance at BC Place – a venue that is preparing to welcome a club-record 50,000 supporters through its doors.

A statement from CEO Axel Schuster on the club’s official website reads: “While we haven't received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand they will not make this trip. 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. We always want our best players going up against our opponent's best players, and facing players of the highest pedigree was especially exciting for our team. We know that there will also be a lot of disappointed fans. We remain committed to making this a special experience for everyone. It is still going to be an incredible atmosphere and celebration of soccer for our city. We have amazing fans, we have a good team, and Saturday's match is a very important home game for us.”

Vancouver will be offering supporters a 50 per cent discount on all in-stadium food and beverages in a bid to counter some of the frustration that they will be feeling, with Messi – who appeared to be nursing a knock during an open training session in Florida this week – set to sit out his seventh game of the 2024 season.