Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami)'s influence is beyond imagination. It remains strong in the United States.
On Dec. 2 (Korea time), U.S. 'ESPN' reported, "Once it was confirmed that Lionel Messi would not be playing away, the opposing team, the Houston Dynamo, announced that they would compensate fans for their ticket costs."
After leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and concluding his European career, Messi has been thriving on the U.S. stage since joining Miami. He successfully won the League Cup in 2023 and, in 2024, he also won the regular season title, MLS Supporters' Shield, transforming Inter Miami from a bottom-tier team into one competing for championships.
In the United States, there is a perception that soccer's popularity lags significantly behind baseball and basketball, but the influence of 'Lionel Messi' is tremendous. In 2023, the location for the U.S. Open Cup final was nearly changed due to Messi's presence. The venue originally scheduled for the final was DRV PNK Stadium, but the attempt was made to hold the final at Hard Rock Stadium, which can accommodate 75,000 people, because so many wanted to see Messi on site.
Recently, an event confirmed Messi's influence again. Inter Miami is set to face the Houston Dynamo on the morning of Dec. 3 at 9 a.m., but Messi has been excluded from the roster and did not board the travel flight.
According to reports, Javier Mascherano, the Miami coach, decided to give Messi a rest considering the recent demanding schedule. ESPN noted, "A club official said in an interview that Messi is not injured and will be able to play in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Cavalier FC on Dec. 7."
As Messi's participation fell through, the Houston Dynamo immediately announced that they would offer compensation to fans. They decided to refund ticket costs to the many fans planning to come to their home stadium to see Messi.
In a statement, Houston said, "We are pleased to welcome Inter Miami to our home. However, we confirmed that Messi's name is missing from the recently announced player roster, and it has been reported that he will not be making the trip to Houston. While player usage issues for the opposing team are outside our control, we want to compensate the fans who planned to come to watch the game."
They added, "We plan to provide free tickets for another game of the season for fans who visit the stadium tomorrow," and said, "Specific details will be officially announced in the coming week."
Compensating for tickets because a star player from the visiting team is not playing is extremely rare. However, Houston made this extraordinary decision for fans who had hoped to see Messi.
Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano, the coach who held an official press conference the day before the game, emphasized, "Messi has been training normally and is in a condition where he can participate in the Houston match. However, the season is long, so we must provide rest at the appropriate times. Not every situation should be treated the same; we need to consider context. Our goal is to achieve the best performance possible."
Inter Miami visits Houston for the MLS Round 2 match of the 2025 season. Under Mascherano's coaching, they currently have 2 wins and 1 draw, maintaining an unbeaten streak of 3 games.
[OSEN = Reporter Jung Seung-woo]