Inter Miami poster boy and international soccer star Lionel Messi will not be playing in Sunday’s MLS game versus Orlando City.
Messi was taken off the field early on Wednesday’s match between Miami and Toronto, with the coach sharing that he didn’t think it was an injury and laying the blame on “muscle fatigue.” Following the game, Coach Martino shared that Messi would not be part of the upcoming September 24 game.
Since Messi joined the league, average ticket prices are estimated to have increased by 527%, according to a report by CNN. Ticket resales for this specific match against Orlando City had prices climbing upwards near $1,000.
The region was just starting to prepare for the record numbers of people expected to head to downtown Orlando for this weekend’s match, and SunRail had just announced that it would be offering limited free service on game day. With the match starting at 7:30 p.m., the first train will be leaving DeBary at 4 p.m., with services paid for by the Downtown Development Board.
Orlando City clinched a spot in the upcoming MLS Playoffs.
