Fuming fans alter Messi shirts after wasting hundreds of dollars to watch Miami vs Vancouver for World Cup winner to be a no show

Furious soccer fans in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada felt rejected after Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets did not play against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The rumors became reality when the trio did not take the field at BC Place and the team decided to rest the stars.

Fans expressed their anger, producing signs and even wearing Inter Miami jerseys with Messi’s name changed in protest.

One photo captured three men swapping their jerseys with tape and a marker: one said “Missing,” another said “No Messi Around,” while a third took a more vulgar route by saying “P***y.” to write.

Other fans held up signs, including a rejected fan from Hong Kong, who missed his second chance to see Messi after the Argentine did not play in the Chinese province earlier this year.

Some who had gone to see the Whitecaps at Inter Miami changed their Messi jerseys

A defiant head coach Tata Martino defended his team’s actions, saying it is impossible for them to predict the future.

‘We trained yesterday. “When we finished, I consulted with the coaching staff and talked to the players, and at that moment we decided that they would not be part of the team,” Martino told reporters on Friday.

“We understand people’s frustration, especially because they want to see these players, but it is our job as a coaching staff to make these uncomfortable decisions.

“We understand what these players are causing in the league and other markets, but we have to take these measures that are sometimes unpleasant for people. But they are beneficial for the players,” the manager continued.

“We cannot announce what our movements will be with 20 days’ notice. We analyzed the situation on Thursday because we have three matches in a week, but sometimes bad things happen that prevent players from participating in a certain match.”

He added, “In this case, we have two home games immediately after Vancouver. When assessing this, we thought it was wise that the three did not participate in this game. They have continued to train, and trained this morning and will do so again on Saturday in preparation for Wednesday’s match.

‘In the case of Busquets, it is worth mentioning that he is the player with the most minutes this season. We had to find a point where he could stop, or where he could take a break. We thought it was wise that it was about this game.

“It is difficult to make such a decision and announce it in anticipation, and that is why we find ourselves in last-minute situations. But anyway, I think it’s the opponent’s responsibility to have a plan B because if Leo doesn’t travel for example, they have to respond to their audience, it’s not our responsibility. If we play as locals and Leo sits outside, we don’t announce it twenty days in advance.

One man traveled from Hong Kong – a place Messi already turned down – only to miss him again

A young soccer fan holds up a Lionel Messi jersey before a match at BC Place in Vancouver

‘Maybe he’s not playing because of an injury. When we went to Orlando, we didn’t announce it with any expectations. It is the hosts who have to make decisions if these players do not travel.”

The Whitecaps announced the news in a statement to fans on Thursday, telling fans not to expect the stars.

“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 make this trip,” Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said.

“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.”

In a statement, Major League Soccer said it “recognizes fans’ disappointment when major players are unavailable for matches.”

“Each MLS club makes its own personnel and competitive decisions based on what they believe is in the best interests of the club and each player.

‘The league will continue to review measures regarding the way clubs report player availability.’

To make matters worse, Messi and Suarez were both spotted at an Inter Miami youth match that was played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale instead of the match in Vancouver.

To make matters worse, Messi was spotted in Florida during an Inter Miami youth team match

‘Welcome! It’s beautiful to see the stadium like this for this event. It is a pleasure to have you here at home and enjoy this wonderful experience. I know the sacrifices parents make every day by taking their children to training, matches and tournaments like this,” Messi said in an address to the crowd.

Meanwhile, fans in Western Canada who had spent hundreds and even thousands of dollars on tickets remained outraged and demanded refunds.

Although it is not clear whether these were given, the club halved the prices of all food and drink in the stadium.

People lamented the missing stars on social media, while others said fans who bought tickets risked Messi possibly not showing up – especially in a stadium that uses an artificial pitch.