Facing Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, Vancouver Whitecaps Have a Sparkle Despite Uncertain Future | OneFootball

There’s a certain sparkle off the water on a Vancouver spring day as the sun glimmers on the waves and the mountains above. It’s natural beauty, and the namesake of Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

It’s a sparkle Canada’s oldest professional soccer club has on the pitch like never before, too.

In December 2024, the club went up for sale. Now, they sit first in MLS and host Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

Football life couldn’t be much better on Canada’s west coast, even with a doubtful future.

While Miami beat Vancouver in their only previous matchup in 2024, Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez didn’t make the trip. This time, with a continental final on the line, they hopped on the nearly seven-hour flight.

“Messi for the past 20 years has been maybe the best player of all time in this sport, and he deserves the praise he gets,” Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen said Wednesday. “It’s not going to be Vancouver Whitecaps against Lionel Messi. It’s going to be Miami against Vancouver.”

New head coach Jesper Sørensen has brought the Vancouver Whitecaps to the top of the MLS standings / Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

The Whitecaps know Miami’s quality, but they haven't bought into their underdog status. Although they don’t often play in front of crowds as large or as much attention as they will this week, there’s no worry given their form.

Through nine games, Vancouver sit second in MLS in goalscoring with 17; six of the goals belong to Brian White, who is second in the MLS Golden Boot race. The Western Conference side is also first, tied with Miami, in goals conceded with six, and second with 21.96 expected goals.

They’ve been dominant. Now, they have a chance to turn some heads across the globe.

“We want to put in a good performance,” Sørensen added. “We want to show the team people who don't, maybe, come to all our games what good quality we have on the field, what kind of team we are.”

Inter Miami CF upset on the cards for Whitecaps FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC don't consider themselves underdogs against Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi / Courtesy of Concacaf

To say it’s an opportunity for the dream-start Whitecaps would be an understatement. It’s one of the few times the club has had to put themselves in front of a massive audience and prove to a fickle sporting market that they can be among the city’s premier entertainment products.

The match also comes at the perfect time, considering the status of the club’s sale process as they seek a new owner and explore the potential of a new stadium, given that their lease at the provincially owned BC Place expires after 2025.

Hosting global superstars isn’t new for Vancouver, having welcomed Pelé, George Best and David Beckham in the past. Yet, Messi is different.

While fans could find tickets for $60 on Tuesday night, listings nearly tripled in price after Inter Miami posted photos of Messi boarding the plane, with the cheapest options around $200 as of Wednesday.

That didn’t happen when the Whitecaps last made the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals against Liga MX powerhouse, Tigres UANL, in 2017.

For Sørensen, a Danish coach just three months into his first head coaching role outside Denmark, it’s an unbelievable opportunity, especially after joking about facing Messi in his first press conference.

“This is a huge game, and I think whenever you are that close to being in a final, the stakes go up every time,” he said. “That’s the mentality that we have to have. Tomorrow we will put in an effort, and with our quality on the pitch, we hope that will be enough to get a good result.”

How can the Whitecaps beat Inter Miami?

Brian White (left) and Pedro Vite (right) could be key pieces for Vancouver Whitecaps FC against Inter Miami CF on Thursday. / Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Tactically, the Whitecaps might be the perfect matchup to hand Miami a loss, despite the Herons having only lost one game across all competitions this season.

As much as the attack of Messi, Suárez, Telasco Segovia and potentially Fafà Picault is among the league’s best, Vancouver’s approach could break down a backline that, despite only conceding six goals this season, has allowed immense space for opponents.

It’s an attractive potential for White, especially as a player who hasn’t always lived up to the big occasions, yet thrives on the types of through balls and wide opportunities Miami tends to concede.

“I think we have good attacking players and that we're cohesive, if we have fluid movements and everything to make good opportunities come our way,” White said. “They haven’t conceded a lot, maybe that’s execution related to other teams. They’re good defenders, but we have the players to play well together and know each other's movements, so hopefully we can execute.”

With White, combined with DP midfielder Andrés Cubas—who has beaten Messi before and brings a special energy around the whole group—there’s a real sense that the Whitecaps can make their first final, shunning their previous losses in Concacaf competitions.

“Getting through Pumas and CF Monterrey was great for us, and we’ve been in games in years prior in Leagues Cup and Concacaf where we play well and we lose,” White added.

“We [went] through those number of times and some of the same players, the same group, have been within the team for a few years now, we have that experience together... hopefully we can use all this experience and win this competition.”

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