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The Vancouver Whitecaps have told fans not to expect to see Inter Miami CF stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets in their match Saturday at BC Place.
“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. 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,” said Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said in a statement.
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If the trio of former Barcelona stars don’t make the trip, it won’t be due to injury, with sources telling ESPN that all three are fit.
Messi, Suárez and Busquets all participated in Miami’s open training on Tuesday night at Chase Stadium, completing the one hour session and interacting with season ticket holders following the drills.
Inter Miami has yet to provide a statement in response to its opponent’s press release.
Saturday’s game marks the first time Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps face off in MLS, with scheduling preventing the teams in opposing conferences from playing one another.
“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,” the Whitecaps added in their statement. “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.”
The Whitecaps expect a club record-breaking MLS-era crowd on Saturday, selling out tickets and hosting “the biggest street party in the team’s history.” Vancouver will be offering a 50 percent discount on all in-stadium food and beverage to fans to mitigate any disappointment should Messi, Suárez and Busquets not make the trip for the game.