Messi's visit to Toronto makes for scarce

TORONTO — Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio laughed when asked whether he was getting more requests for tickets than usual with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in town Saturday.

“Yes,” he said. “The answer is yes. … It is what it is. That’s what (Messi) brings. It’s a special thing.”

A club spokeswoman said Saturday’s game at BMO Field is a sellout.

Toronto coach Robin Fraser has also been hit up for tickets.

“Yes. And then I tell them what the tickets actually cost in the open market,” he said. “Their request usually goes away pretty quickly.”

As of Friday afternoon, StubHub had some 50 ticket listings for the game, ranging from $336 to $12,941. SeatGeek had 57 listings, from $324 to $16,079.

Citing Toronto’s multiculturalism, Fraser said “the appreciation for (Messi) is as great here