Vancouver Whitecaps reach settlement in 2024 Messi no-show class action

A proposed settlement to a class-action lawsuit won’t provide compensation for thousands of ticket buyers who, despite marketing promises, never got to see soccer stars Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquet and Luis Suarez play the Vancouver Whitecaps at B.C. Place in May of 2024.

Instead, the settlement is proposing the Whitecaps pay $475,000 — minus up to one third of that for the law firm representing the plaintiffs — to be split between three charitable organizations.

Details of the proposal were released on Monday by the law firm representing the Burnaby, B.C., man who brought the claim. 

In his lawsuit, Ho Chun alleges he paid $404 for a pair of tickets to see Inter Miami CF play the Whitecaps in a game where the three famous Miami players were advertised as participating.

None of them did, but their no-show was only announced a couple of days before the game. Hon’s lawsuit called it “a classic case of bait-and-switch,” citing print, online, social media and billboard ads that promised the trio.

In a statement emailed to CBC News, the Vancouver Whitecaps said: “A settlement has been reached in the class action relating to the Whitecaps FC v. Inter Miami CF game on May 25, 2024. The settlement is subject to approval by the British Columbia Supreme Court.”

Evolink, the law firm representing class action plaintiffs, declined comment.

According to the proposed settlement, the Whitecaps will revise their ticketing terms and conditions to state that player rosters are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. 

In addition, the team will add similar information to the pop-up notices on Ticketmaster’s website and will display the updated terms and conditions more prominently on its own website. 

Chun's lawsuit was originally