Inter Miami is heading west this weekend to play the Vancouver Whitecaps—but star player Lionel Messi won’t be in attendance. 

It is expected that over 50,000 attendees will flock to BC Place for Saturday (May 25)’s game, which is on track to break records. People have been understandably thrilled about getting the chance to witness Messi, largely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, hit the field live and in-person.

But those hopes were dashed yesterday, when the Whitecaps FC released a statement saying that Messi, along with Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets, would not be making the trip. Though there have been lots of questions around whether or not Messi will play on artificial turf (which is what BC Place uses for soccer matches), he has done so since joining Miami FC.

Fans have flocked to social media to vocalize their frustrations over paying high ticket prices, booking time off work, and even organizing travel from outside the Lower Mainland. As a consolation, BC Place will offer 50 per cent off all in-stadium food and beverages during the match, and youth under 18 will receive one free kids’ meal combo.

“We know that there will also be a lot of disappointed fans. We remain committed to making this a special experience for everyone,” shares Alex Schuster, Whitecaps FC CEO, in a release. “It is still going to be an incredible atmosphere and celebration of soccer for our city. We have amazing fans, we have a good team, and Saturday’s match is a very important home game for us.”