The B.C. Supreme Court could sign off Friday on a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit by some Vancouver Whitecaps FC fans over the non-appearance of soccer superstar Lionel Messi and other Inter Miami players in a match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC nearly two years ago.
The lawsuit stems from a May 25, 2024, match at BC Place Stadium that drew a crowd of more than 51,000 fans, with more than 3,000 later signing a petition calling for refunds due to ticket prices reaching more than $600 for a match typically priced around $30 after it was promoted using the images of Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets.
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When first applying to have the lawsuit certified, the applicant called the match a “bait-and-switch.”
“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,” the application says.
“Two days before the Vancouver v. Miami Game, the Defendants ‘switched’ and announced that these famous soccer players would not be attending the game.”
The settlement, proposed in December 2025, between fans who sued the Whitecaps and Major League Soccer, includes updates to the Whitecaps’ ticketing policies and a $475,000 charitable donation by the defendants of the case, although the exact parties were not specified in the announcement of the settlement.
The proposed settlement is scheduled to be considered for approval in Vancouver around 10 a.m.
—With files from The Canadian Press
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