Chicago Fire offering credits for fans amid uncertainty over whether Lionel Messi will play originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
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.
Latest Messi injury update
Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino declined to provide any timetable regarding Messi when he spoke with reporters before the practice session.
The team — which is still trying to make Major League Soccer’s playoffs — plays at Chicago on Wednesday. Messi has been listed as day to day for much of the past month and barely has played in that span.
The 36-year-old Messi has missed four of Inter Miami’s last five matches, plus another for Argentina in that span because of what was first called fatigue — by both his club and country — and has evolved from there. The only game he didn’t miss during that stretch was a 37-minute appearance…