Houston Dynamo Offer Fans Free Tickets Since Lionel Messi Didn't Play For Inter Miami
After Lionel Messi didn't travel with Inter Miami for a road game in Houston, the Dynamo are hoping to appease their fans with free tickets.
Matches involving Inter Miami have been the hottest ticket in Major League Soccer since Messi joined the team in 2023. The problem, though, is that Messi doesn't always play — and that's exactly the predicament the Dynamo found themselves in over the weekend.
Houston Dynamo fans were not pleased that Lionel Messi didn't travel to Sunday's game.
(Getty Images & Imagn-Images)
After getting word that the global soccer superstar would not make the trip to Houston, the Dynamo were forced to do some damage control for the fans who paid a small fortune to attend. So the club released a statement, offering a complimentary ticket to a future game for everyone in attendance.
"The Houston Dynamo are excited to host Inter Miami CF at Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday evening," the statement read. "The recently shared player status report for the match did not include forward Lionel Messi, but it has been reported he did not make the trip to Houston. Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent.
"We look forward to hosting everyone tomorrow for what will be an incredible atmosphere and celebration of soccer for the city of Houston. To show our appreciation, fans who attend tomorrow night’s match can claim a complimentary ticket to a future Dynamo match this season. Additional details will be provided early next week."
And this isn't the first time an MLS club has had to offer a consolation prize to its fans in Messi's absence.
American Soccer Fans Just Want To See Lionel Messi
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano explained that Messi's absence in Houston wasn’t because of injury, but rather load management in a packed schedule of MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup and, eventually, FIFA Club World Cup duties.
Messi is 37 years old, which is not exactly young in the professional sports world. Sometimes his body just needs a break — but it's hard to explain that to fans who pay a premium to witness one of the greatest players of all time.
Opposing clubs are trying to navigate a difficult situation: How do we keep our fans happy in a situation we can't control?
A fan wears a Messi jersey altered to say "missing" following the absence of Inter Miami's star player Lionel Messi from a match against Houston Dynamo FC.
(Photo by Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In 2023, the Chicago Fire offered ticket rebates for future games when Messi didn’t show up for their more than 61,000 fans who came to see him. The club offered a $250 discount on season tickets the following year, but that didn't silence the complaints from fans.
Last season, the Vancouver Whitecaps sold ticket packages that included some of the most highly touted games on the schedule, which obviously included Miami. Those packages sold out, and Messi didn't play in Vancouver.
The Whitecaps tried to make it right by offering a 50% discount on all food sold in the stadium during that game, but that didn't work, either. Some fans even filed lawsuits against the Whitecaps for false advertising.
Lionel Messi is the man everyone shows up to see.
(Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It's a tricky situation.
On one hand, opposing teams don't owe their fans a thing. Lionel Messi plays for Miami, and the other 29 MLS teams have nothing to do with whether the superstar plays or how much he plays. Imagine if NBA teams had to offer refunds and discounts every time a star player took a "load management" break — they'd go bankrupt.
On the other hand, MLS clubs are faced with the impossible task of getting Americans interested in soccer, and Messi puts butts in seats. Maybe it's worth eating the cost of future tickets or discounted concessions if it means bringing those same fans back for one more game.