In the inaugural days of our National Stadium, Gustavo Adolfo Esquivel Quiros -a Tico attorney and football fan- was really excited when he heard that one of his football idols would come to play in Costa Rica. When his idol did not play as expected, he sued the National Football Federation (FEDEFUTBOL) and won. According to Diario Extra, the damages awarded to Esquivel are in the amount of 236,250 colones (about $470), which corresponds to the cost of the tickets purchased.

In addition to reimbursing the cost of the tickets, FEDEFUTBOL now faces a court-ordered fine of 4 million colones (about $8,000) for stirring up “Messi-mania” among Ticos and failing to deliver.

The talented Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, who currently plays for the FC Barcelona and is considered the world’s best player in various circles, was in Costa Rica about a year ago representing his national football team in a friendly match against La Sele. The Argentinian wonder sat in the bench for the entire game, along with other star teammates like Angel DiMaria and Carlos Tevez.

The Lawsuit over Deceptive Advertising

Esquivel’s disappointment became a formal legal complaint two months after Messi’s visit to the bench in Costa Rica. According to plaintiff Esquivel, he purchased the tickets based on information provided by FEDEFUTBOL, which stated that Argentina’s National Football Team would come to play with her star team. The plaintiff’s position is that he was convinced by FEDEFUTBOL that Messi would play. He took his complaint to the Comision Nacional del Consumidor (Consumer Affairs Office) and won.

The Consumer Affairs Office in Costa Rica is a non-profit private organization that serves as a watchdog at a time when consumer culture is becoming manifest among Ticos. In this case, the Consumer Affairs Office interceded and announced the ruling. The applicable is Ley 7472 de Promoción de la Competencia y Defensa Efectiva del Consumidor (Consumer Protection Law – PDF), which provides consumers in Costa Rica with a series of rights and safeguards against questionable practices such as deceptive advertising.

The exhibition game at the heart of the case was exciting nonetheless. The teams were evenly matched in their offensive and defensive strategies, and the final score was 0-0. The day prior to the game, Argentinian Coach Batista spoke to the press and mentioned that Messi would be part of the starting lineup.

FEDEFUTBOL has filed an appeal.