The Vancouver Whitecaps advertised a match against Inter Miami featuring the opposing team’s stars—who didn’t even play. Now Thomas Müller’s club and the MLS have been fined for this.
On May 25, 2024, the Vancouver Whitecaps hosted Inter Miami. In the run-up to the game, which took place before Thomas Müller joined the Canadian club, the Whitecaps, like the MLS, are alleged to have used “misleading advertising material” in ticket sales, as several plaintiffs accused the club and the league association. This was because expectations had been raised that the stars of the Florida team, including Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez & Co., would be playing on the Canadian west coast. The catch: Inter’s coach at the time, Gerardo Martino, had already decided days before kick-off to rest Messi, Suarez and Busquets. However, more than 50,000 spectators had already bought tickets – to limit their disappointment, the Whitecaps offered a 50 percent discount on food and drinks. Otherwise, according to a report by ESPN, both the club and the MLS initially rejected any possible liability.
However, the Supreme Court of the Canadian province of British Columbia has now ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and approved a settlement in a class action lawsuit against the Canadian club and Major League Soccer (MLS). According to the ruling, the Vancouver Whitecaps and MLS must jointly pay 450,000 Canadian dollars, equivalent to 283,000 euros, to charity. The Whitecaps have already announced that they will accept the verdict: “The settlement will be implemented in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement,” the club said.
Note when purchasing tickets: Matchday squads are subject to change
At the same time, the club is drawing further consequences from the incident: In the future, the Whitecaps will change their terms and conditions for ticket sales. When purchasing a ticket for a game, it will be noted that the respective matchday squads are subject to change.
Miami won the match in May 2024 by a score of 2-1. The two clubs met again in the 2025 season: in the MLS playoff final in early December 2025, Miami, with Jordi Alba, Busquets, de Paul, and Messi, defeated the Whitecaps, led by Thomas Müller, 3-1 to win the MLS title for the first time.
