The absence of Lionel Messi from the Chicago Fire game on Wednesday night didn’t worry Miguel Hernandez, who purchased the ticket for more than four times the cost as a surprise birthday gift for his son.

The father from Bolingbrook expressed his excitement about being at Soldier Field as a “once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Messi, even on the bench.” There were waves of people sporting Messi-themed pink and black shirts. Hernandez and his 12-year-old brother Noe are both ardent soccer enthusiasts. In a youth league in the suburbs, Hernandez coaches and Nоe participates as a player.

Messi completely missed the event, which was unfortunate for the father and son.

The renowned Argentine soccer player was absent from the crucial match between Inter Miami FC and the Fire.

Miguel Hernandez stated, “I’m not mad, I’m just sad.” If you’re upset that Messi isn’t playing, you don’t understand the game.

To see the game, 48-year-old Riazuddin Mohideen traveled from Nebraska with his 8-year-old son. He felt somewhat awful about it. He claimed that when he purchased each ticket two months ago, it cost him almost $1,000.

At the moment, he wasn’t bothered by the cost because his son Haaziq “loves soccer and Messi is his favorite player.” But when he found out that Messi wouldn’t be playing, he was disappointed. “I’m sad, but grateful to be here with my son,” Mohideen remarked.

Even when Haaziq wasn’t with him, he brought a poster supporting Messi. He remarked, “Inter Miami has been losing lately, so I wanted to watch and support both teams.”

 

Jose Lopez, 60, claimed that some street vendors were disappointed that Messi wouldn’t play even though the majority of fans didn’t seem to care. Despite the fact that some merchants had purchased the shirts months earlier, they weren’t selling as expected.

“He (Messi) can’t be so horrible that he can’t at least come up for a little period,” Lopez, a soccer supporter who had been assisting a friend sell shirts, said. “The price was too high.

Outside Soldier Field, where spectators had gathered to watch the Chicago Fire play Inter Miami, there was a feeling of defeat.

 

To watch the international sensation perform, fans paid a hefty price. The ticket sellers demanded hundreds or even thousands of dollars for each one. Local support groups raffled off tickets to collect money. Messi-related billboards may be seen all over downtown Chicago. The Fire swiftly put together package deals for tickets that didn’t just contain the Inter-Miami game.

The Fire thought that the record 54,432 spectators who came to watch them play against the Columbus Crew in 2005 may be broken as the game became more entertaining.

Messi missed four of Inter Miami’s previous five games as well as an Argentina international match during that span, which left fans astonished rather than excited. On Monday, you could purchase a used ticket for as little as $50 due to the sharp decline in price of used tickets.

 

The Fire announced on Tuesday that anybody who purchased a single-game ticket for Wednesday’s game will receive a credit of either $250 toward 2024 season tickets or $50 toward single-game tickets, “regardless of which players are able to make an appearance on the pitch.” They took this action because they were aware that a large portion of the ticket buyers weren’t there to watch their hometown team play.

 

The Fire released a statement saying, “There is never a guarantee that an athlete will play on any given night owing to a variety of variables, thus we do not yet know the official status of Lionel Messi’s availability for our encounter tomorrow. We are aware that if they miss the opportunity to watch him perform, many of our supporters could be disappointed. Many individuals will be attending a Chicago Fire game at Soldier Field for the first time, as we are aware of. We’re thrilled to welcome them to the Fire Family and provide them the opportunity to become devoted followers by creating a welcoming environment.

Messi’s participation in Wednesday’s game was uncertain, but the Fire were expected to win in order to keep the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

 

In the Eastern Conference standings, The Fire, D.C. United, and CF Montreál are all tied for ninth place. The CF Montreál has the deciding vote. There are only three games left in the regular season, so a victory on Wednesday would allow the Fire to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2017.