There’s no doubt about the influence Lionel Messi has had not just on Inter Miami but on the MLS as a whole. Since his arrival, opposition fans have been more excited to see the Argentinian superstar than their own favorite clubs. However, this intense fandom has had its downsides. Former USMNT star Herculez Gomez has expressed his frustration, claiming he’s ‘tired of other teams advertising Messi.’ 

Prior to their clash against the Herons, Vancouver specifically released a statement regarding the absence of La Pulga, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets, communicating that they have ‘no control over who the opponent plays’, but felt important to communicate this to its fans. The absence of Messi due to a 6-hour-long flight to British Columbia amid a congested calendar seemed fair to Gomez, but he found one thing quite unsettling: “What I’m not cool with is I’m getting sick and tired of other teams advertising Messi, ‘Come watch Messi score on us.'”

The ESPN pundit highlighted the negative impact of this phenomenon on the overall fan experience. “The club can say we don’t have any control and when you do have control, it is not raising the prices in a way where it’s unaffordable and ridiculous and you look stupid if this happens. You have that control,” he added. Gomez further asserted that Vancouver isn’t alone as all 30 MLS clubs follow the same script. 

The US icon wants fans to root for their club rather than buy tickets in the name of Messi. Gomez further added that ardent fans who truly come to support their teams are being affected by the bandwagon supporters. Perhaps this explains the fury chants made by Vancouver fans. 

Vancouver fans made their anger obvious over the absence of Lionel Messi

As tonight’s match kicked off, Vancouver fans echoed the whole BC Place with chants “Where is Messi?” The home supporters, who had hoped to witness the Argentinian superstar’s masterclass, were instead furious about the Miami skipper’s absence in British Columbia. While the supporters were furious, David Beckham‘s soccer franchise sprinkled more salt on their wounds. 

Tata Martino and Co. managed to clinch a 1-2 victory over the Canadian side. Robert Taylor broke the deadlock in the 38th minute to end the first half with Miami’s narrow lead. Leonardo Campana added the second in the hour mark. Both of the scorers also fulfilled Martino’s wish to see them fill in for Messi’s absence. Unfortunately, Drake Callendar couldn’t keep a clean sheet as Vancouver scored a consolation via a penalty. 

While it’s quite impressive that Inter Miami managed to clinch three points in the absence of Lionel Messi, the question circles back to whether the 8x Ballon d’Or winner has a negative influence on the fans’ experience. Let us know your views in the comments.