Messi did not want to come down
En Lima, cientos de aficionados peruanos pagaron cerca de mil dólares por la promesa de un encuentro cercano con Lionel Messi, solo para descubrir que la estrella nunca bajó al evento. Lo que comenzó como una experiencia premium se convirtió en una pregunta sobre los límites entre el marketing y el contrato moral con el consumidor. La agencia peruana Indecopi ha abierto una investigación formal, recordándonos que incluso en el universo del fútbol global, las promesas tienen consecuencias legales y humanas.
- Cientos de fanáticos pagaron 3,855 soles —cerca de mil dólares— por un paquete que prometía explícitamente la presencia de Messi, Suárez, Busquets y Jordi Alba en un meet & greet en el Estadio Monumental.
- Messi no apareció, y los organizadores explicaron, sin mayor detalle, que el astro argentino 'no quiso bajar', ofreciendo camisetas firmadas como compensación ante la indignación creciente.
- La promesa pública era inequívoca: el CEO de Long Play Entertainment había declarado en televisión, semanas antes, que Messi estaría presente como parte del evento.
- Las redes sociales se encendieron con testimonios de asistentes que describieron la situación como un engaño, amplificando la presión sobre los organizadores.
- Indecopi abrió una investigación formal para determinar si hubo violaciones a la publicidad o incumplimiento de derechos del consumidor, poniendo en juego la responsabilidad legal de los promotores.
La noche del 29 de enero, cientos de fanáticos peruanos llegaron al Estadio Monumental de Lima con una expectativa que habían pagado caro: conocer en persona a Lionel Messi. Los paquetes premium, valorados en 3,855 soles por persona, incluían transporte, cena y acceso directo a cuatro figuras de Inter Miami. Tres de ellas cumplieron. Messi no.
Los organizadores explicaron que el astro argentino simplemente 'no quiso bajar'. Como gesto de compensación, ofrecieron camisetas con su firma —un detalle que, lejos de calmar los ánimos, subrayó con mayor claridad lo que había sido prometido y no entregado. Las redes sociales se llenaron de testimonios de asistentes que describieron la situación como una estafa.
Lo que agravó el malestar fue que la participación de Messi no era una suposición de los fanáticos, sino una promesa pública. Pol Liza Ríos, CEO de Long Play Entertainment, había declarado en televisión que Messi formaría parte del meet & greet. 'Esto es una recompensa para los fanáticos', dijo en su momento. 'Messi estará, por supuesto.'
Ante la magnitud del incumplimiento, Indecopi —la autoridad peruana de protección al consumidor— anunció la apertura de una investigación formal para determinar si los organizadores violaron normas publicitarias o derechos del consumidor. Sin reembolsos ofrecidos y sin advertencia previa, lo que debía ser un momento irrepetible se convirtió en un caso de estudio sobre los riesgos de vender sueños sin garantías.
On the evening of January 29th, hundreds of Peruvian fans arrived at the Monumental Stadium in Lima for a meet-and-greet with Inter Miami's roster ahead of a friendly match against Universitario. They had paid 3,855 soles—roughly $1,000 per person—for premium packages that promised not just a glimpse of the players, but transport to the stadium, a catered dinner, and direct access to Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. When the event began, three of those four players showed up. Messi did not.
The absence was not a last-minute injury or a scheduling conflict announced in advance. According to fans who were there, organizers told them that Messi simply "did not want to come down." In an attempt at damage control, event staff offered to have the Argentine star sign jerseys as compensation—a gesture that only underscored what had been promised and not delivered. The disappointment rippled across social media as attendees began posting about what they felt was a bait-and-switch.
What made the situation more pointed was that the organizers had explicitly confirmed Messi's participation weeks earlier. Pol Liza Ríos, CEO of Long Play Entertainment, one of the production companies behind the match, had appeared on the program Fútbol Como Cancha and stated clearly that Messi would be part of the meet-and-greet experience. "There are stars who are the institutional image," Liza said at the time. "Yes, of course, Messi will be part of the meet and greet. Luis Suárez as well and the main players. This is a reward we give to the fans. It's a big effort. They understand this is a business." The message was unambiguous: Messi would be there.
The gap between that public commitment and the reality at the stadium did not go unnoticed by Peru's consumer protection apparatus. Within hours of the event, Indecopi—the National Authority for Consumer Protection—announced that it had opened a formal investigation. The agency stated that it was examining whether the organizers had violated advertising regulations or breached consumer rights through the non-delivery of a promised service. The investigation would determine whether what occurred constituted fraud or merely a broken promise.
The financial dimension of the complaint was substantial. Each meet-and-greet ticket cost 3,855 soles, and the package included not just the chance to meet the players but also stadium transportation and a full dinner service. For many attendees, this was a significant expenditure—the kind of premium experience that justifies the price only if the promised experience materializes. Instead, they received two-thirds of what they had paid for, with no refund offered and no advance warning that the central attraction would be absent.
The incident sits at the intersection of celebrity culture, event management, and consumer protection. Inter Miami's visit to Peru was meant to be a marquee moment for Peruvian football fans—a chance to see one of the world's greatest players in person. The organizers capitalized on that hunger by pricing the experience at a premium and explicitly naming Messi as part of the draw. When he did not appear, the transaction became something else: a lesson in the gap between marketing and delivery, and a reminder that even in the age of global sports, local consumer protections exist for a reason. What happens next depends on what Indecopi finds.
Citações Notáveis
Messi will be part of the meet and greet. Luis Suárez as well and the main players. This is a reward we give to the fans.— Pol Liza Ríos, CEO of Long Play Entertainment, weeks before the event
Indecopi has initiated actions to determine if there exists any breach of advertising norms or violation of consumer rights by the event organizers.— Indecopi statement
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why would Messi agree to the meet-and-greet in the first place if he had no intention of showing up?
That's the question everyone's asking. The organizers had confirmed it publicly. Either something changed at the last minute—fatigue, a decision by Inter Miami's medical staff, a personal choice—or there was never a firm commitment to begin with, just an assumption that he would participate like he has in other cities.
And the organizers just... told people he didn't want to come down?
That's what attendees reported hearing. It's a strange thing to say out loud. It suggests either honesty about a last-minute refusal, or a cover story for something else entirely. Either way, it's an admission that the promised experience wasn't going to happen.
Did anyone offer refunds?
Not according to the reports. They offered signed jerseys instead, which is essentially asking people to accept a different product in place of what they paid for. That's not how consumer transactions usually work.
What's Indecopi actually going to investigate?
Whether the organizers knowingly sold a service they couldn't deliver, or whether they misrepresented what Messi's participation would entail. If they marketed him as a guaranteed part of the experience and then didn't ensure he'd be there, that's potentially an advertising violation.
Could this happen to other fans at other events?
Almost certainly. This is a high-profile case because Messi is Messi, but the underlying problem—premium pricing for celebrity access that doesn't materialize—is common in event management. Indecopi's investigation might set a precedent for how these situations are handled.