More than 61,000 tickets for the Chicago Fire’s game at Soldier Field have been sold.

Seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or Messi has missed the last three games for Miami.

The Fire will offer a $250 (£207) credit for “new memberships for the 2024 season” or a $50 (£41) credit for “single-game ticket buyers.”

They stated that the credit would be given to supporters “regardless of which players are able to make an appearance on the pitch.”

“While we don’t yet know the official status of Lionel Messi’s availability for our match tomorrow, as there’s never a guarantee that an athlete will play on any given night due to a variety of factors, we understand that many of our fans may be disappointed if they don’t get to see him play,” the Fire said in a statement.

“We realise that there will be many in attendance who are coming to a Chicago Fire match at Soldier Field for the first time, and we’re excited to welcome them to the Fire Family and give them an opportunity to become long-term fans by creating a wonderful, fan-focused atmosphere.”

Messimania: An American fantasy?
The Chicago Fire’s best attendance at Soldier Field was 37,122 versus the Los Angeles Galaxy in their inaugural season in 1998.

Argentina’s World Cup winner Messi has appeared in just one game for Miami since September 3rd, and he sat out their 2-1 loss to Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup final last week.

Messi, 36, agreed to terms with Miami in July after his contract with PSG expired.