Chicago Fire offers ticket incentives due to possibility of Messi not playing
Chicago Fire, a team in Major League Soccer (MLS), will refund a portion of ticket prices for their upcoming match against Inter Miami if fans attend the stadium, due to the possibility that Lionel Messi may not play because of an injury.
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Argentine star footballer Lionel Messi continues to impact the popularity of soccer in the United States. The star player's inability to play in the last 3 matches for Inter Miami due to an injury has led to the implementation of ticket price incentives.
Chicago Fire, which has hosted a maximum of 37 thousand spectators in a single match to date, announced that it has already sold over 61 thousand tickets for the league match it will play against Inter Miami tomorrow.
Fearing that the stands might remain empty if Messi does not play in the match, the US team will refund 50 dollars to each spectator who bought a ticket for tomorrow's match, provided they attend the stadium. If requested by the spectators who come to the stadium, Chicago Fire will also offer a 250-dollar discount on next season's season ticket prices. These incentives will apply even if Messi plays in the match.
In a statement made by the Chicago Fire Club, it was stated, "Whether Lionel Messi will be able to play in our match tomorrow remains uncertain. Due to various factors, we can never guarantee that a player will play in a match, and we are aware that this situation will cause great disappointment for our fans who come to the stands to watch him. We have realized that there are many spectators who will come to watch a Chicago Fire match for the first time tomorrow. In order to welcome them, we decided to offer such an opportunity."
The 36-year-old Messi, who has played in 12 matches for Inter Miami this season, has recorded 11 goals and 5 assists.