Will Lionel Messi play at Soldier Field Wednesday during Inter Miami’s match against the Chicago Fire?
It’s the million-dollar question on thousands of fans minds.
Although Messi, 36, was on the practice field with Inter Miami Tuesday, it still remains unclear when or if the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will play with the team again this season.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Messi’s status still remained a mystery.
“The Chicago Fire are excited to host Inter Miami CF at Soldier Field this week,” a statement from the Chicago Fire read. “While we don’t yet know the official status of Lionel Messi’s availability for our match tomorrow, as there’s never a guarantee that an athlete will play on any given night due to several factors.
The statement also acknowledged that fans, many of whom have not seen a Chicago Fire game at Soldier Field, may be “disappointed” should they miss the chance to see Messi play in the much-anticipated match.
“To show our appreciation, the Chicago Fire will be offering a $250 account credit toward new memberships for the 2024 season – or a $50 account credit for anyone unable to use the new member credit – to all single-game ticket buyers who attend our match vs. Inter Miami regardless of which players are able to make an appearance on the pitch,” the statement continued.
You can find the full statement here.
Approximately 61,000 tickets — more than triple what the Football Club typically sells — have been distributed for Wednesday night’s game, a spokesperson said, with the match expected to “completely” sell out.
According to the spokesperson, more information on how account credits can be used will be released next week.
Messi has 11 goals in 12 matches with Inter Miami this season. The team is 8-0-4 when he plays; seven of those matches were on the team’s run to winning its first-ever trophy by claiming the Leagues Cup and another was in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal.
He has one goal in four MLS matches and has been an instant phenomenon, as would be expected — with his jersey already the best selling in the league in 2023, even though it wasn’t available for sale until mid-July.
Inter Miami is 1-2-2 in its five matches without Messi since he joined the club.
Chicago enters Wednesday 11th in the East but tied with ninth-place Montreal in points (37) and games left (three, including the Inter Miami matchup). Wednesday is a huge game for the Fire’s postseason hopes as well.
