When soccer superstar Lionel Messi was a no-show for Inter Miami's match with the Whitecaps in Vancouver in May 2024, they let their feelings be known with chants of "Where is Messi?"
But some in the crowd of more than 51,000 went further — they took the matter out of BC Place stadium and to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Now Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the disgruntled fans have reached a proposed settlement in the class-action lawsuit which accused the club and Major League Soccer of misleading supporters in promotions for the match, in which Miami stars Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets also failed to take the field.
The tentative deal was announced Monday in a statement from Evolink Law, representing the fans, and was confirmed by the Whitecaps.
The proposed settlement includes updates to the Whitecaps' ticketing policies stating that team rosters are subject to change, and a $475,000 charitable donation by the defendants.
The Whitecaps would also seek to have Ticketmaster add a pop-up to its website "to inform buyers that player appearances are not guaranteed."
But the proposed settlement does not include financial compensation for the fans.
The fans had said the Whitecaps and MLS were "reckless" in referring to Messi, Suárez and Busquets in promotions for the May 25, 2024, match.
"Using such promotional materials as 'bait,' the defendants caused the tickets for the Vancouver v. Miami game to be listed and sold on the primary market at ten times higher than the price of other Vancouver Whitecaps home games," they said in their lawsuit.
Evolink said in Monday's announcement that paying fans who held tickets for the match — regardless of attendance — may object to the settlement in writing before Jan. 28, 2026, and may also opt-out of the settlement if they wish to preserve rights to pursue an individual claim.
The announcement said the defendants continue to deny any wrongdoing or liability, and assert the claim of the lawsuit is "without merit."
"The defendants maintain that they have strong defences to the proposed class action," it said.
More than 3,000 people had signed a petition calling for refunds due to ticket prices that were said to have reached more than $600 for a match typically priced around $30.
"We … are deeply disappointed to hear that Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets will not be participating in the upcoming match in Vancouver," said the petition. "These world-renowned players' faces have been used in promotions since the schedule announcement, leading to increased ticket demand and premium pricing."
In an email on Monday, Whitecaps FC confirmed the proposed settlement but declined further comment. The Whitecaps' general partner, WFC Football GP, was also a defendant.
MLS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Evolink Law did not respond immediately to requests for further comment, but the settlement announcement noted that the deal is subject to court approval at a hearing in February.
The settlement announcement said the court will determine if the deal is fair and reasonable, and expenses linked to the plaintiff's legal fees — which could be up to 33 per cent of the $475,000 donation — may also be determined at that time.
The proposed recipients of the donation are the charities KidSport BC, Canada SCORES, and BGC South Coast BC.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck