CHICAGO - Despite the international appeal of former soccer player Lionel Messi signing with Inter Miami, Chicago Fire ticket reseller Roger James admitted that he can’t find a buyer for Messi tickets that he purchased in bulk.

“I bought 20 SG section tickets in anticipation for Messi's return,” stated James to The Nutmeg News, “and the only offers I got was 5 dollars and someone asking if this was a Bears minor league team.”

Sources indicate that James had had issues selling any Fire tickets over the last few years.

“People would buy them because they thought I was selling supporter tickets to a behind the scenes taping of the show Chicago Fire,” stated James. “They always asked for refunds when they realized there was a soccer team in the area. I just had to stop selling them after a while.”

However with news of Messi potentially playing against the Fire in Chicago, James thought he could make a tidy profit flipping tickets for the upcoming event.

“As it turns out, it looks like the Fire have burnt through every bit of goodwill left in the area,” stated James. “Anyway, I offered them as a donation to a boys and girls club in the area and they just said, ‘no,’ with an additional response of, ‘we don’t take our children out to events to make them sad,’ so i guess that’s not an option either.”

The Nutmeg News will have more on this as James offers a buy one get 10 option to anyone interested.