Canucks' Elias Pettersson doesn't miss the opportunity to watch Lionel Messi live in Vancouver

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson attended the CONCACAF Champions Cup match between Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami at BC Place. The Canucks shared photos of Pettersson at the game, and captioned:

"Game respect game. Elias Pettersson taking in tonight’s Concacaf Champions Cup game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami."

Pettersson has often expressed admiration for Lionel Messi. In December 2022, he predicted Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup and that Messi would be named the tournament’s MVP. Both predictions came true.

"Argentina will win and Messi will be the MVP" Pettersson said from the Canucks locker room.

In an October 2023 interview, Pettersson shared that Messi's dedication and passion inspire him. He recalled being moved to tears when Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, saying:

"When they won, to see what it meant to all of them, I remember I was just crying. Yeah, I get inspired by that."

Attending the match allowed Pettersson to see his football idol play live. This experience may once again motivate him to leave behind his scoring slump.

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Elias Pettersson's struggle with scoring in this season

Elias Pettersson had a down year with 45 points and missed 15 games due to injury. He admitted he overthought after signing a big contract. Pettersson said he felt pressure to do more and lost confidence when points didn’t come.

"Early in the season, maybe I had the mindset that I signed a big contract and have to do more," Pettersson said, via theprovince.com. “And when the points didn’t come, I tended to overthink. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to be. There was a lot of adversity this year, but I can grow from it."

Coach Rick Tocchet said Pettersson needs to practise better and prepare harder. Tocchet wants him to meet the staff halfway and follow a clear plan.

"You know, there's a lot of expectations on him. There's a lot of pressure on him. And to deal with pressure...," Tocchet said, (via Sportsnet)."...I think he's trying to evolve to that level. Is he there yet? No. Are we here to help him? Absolutely... I'm going to be quite frank with you guys, I said, 'You know, we've got to meet at the 50-yard line... You've got to meet us halfway.'"

Elias Pettersson is healthy this summer and plans to train in Vancouver before going back to Sweden. Pettersson has scored 102 and 89 points in previous seasons. So, the team hopes he can return to that form.