Whitecaps fans hope for Messi visit after club advances to CONCACAF semi-finals

The Vancouver Whitecaps are into the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they will play Lionel Messi's team Inter Miami.

It took stoppage time in the second match of a two-game series but the Vancouver Whitecaps have pulled off the improbable – beating Mexican Giants Pumas to book a semi-final showdown with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

“It’s basically the equivalent of the Champions League semi-final,” explained Peter Czimmermann, the president of the Vancouver Southsiders, the Whitecaps’ biggest supporters’ club. “We are basically at the same stages as what’s happening in Europe. It’s the four best teams in CONCACAF, which is basically North America effectively. It’s the best soccer, sort of local soccer, you can get.”

The ‘Caps will host Inter in the first leg on April 24 at B.C. Place, with fans already flooding online to buy tickets in a pre-sale that was set up for club supporters on Thursday.

And while the fact it will be a semi-final match is already attracting plenty of interest – the potential that Messi will come to Vancouver is supercharging interest in this game.

“If they want a chance, he will need to come for sure and then it’s going to make the game even more exciting, hopefully. I think he will show up, and people can actually fill up the stadium for cheering on the Whitecaps,” said Czimmermann.

Last year, Messi took a pass on playing in Vancouver leaving tens of thousands of fans disappointed.

• Read more: Frustrated soccer fans sue over Lionel Messi no-show at Vancouver Whitecaps game

But local sportscaster Blake Price, the co-host of Blake & Price, feels the importance of this match will make an appearance from one of the best all-time players more likely.

“To miss a semi-final cup tie – half of it anyway – I would be blown away,” said Price. “But again, given their treatment of their star player and how much they coddle him and want to make sure he’s healthy for the biggest of matches, they might just hold him back for the home match. I would put that at a small percentage point.”

Beyond the pre-sale under way for club supporters, the general public will get access at noon on Friday, with prices starting at $47.22.