Inter Miami paid an emotional tribute to Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, before their Leagues Cup match against Monterrey on Sunday.
Jorge died following an illness at the age of 68. Messi missed the match as he travelled to Rosario, Argentina, to be with his family.
Inter Miami held a minute of silence before kick off. The players also wore black armbands in memory of Jorge.
Messi’s close friend and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul took the captain’s armband in his absence.
De Paul then produced one of the most emotional moments of the night.
He scored the opening goal in the 32nd minute to give Miami the lead. After scoring, De Paul took off his shirt and revealed a Messi No. 10 shirt underneath.
It was a clear message of support for Messi during a difficult time for him and his family.
Fans inside Nu Stadium also showed their support. Several supporters held signs and messages for the Inter Miami captain.
Jorge played a major role throughout his son’s career. He worked as Messi’s agent and business manager and remained one of his closest advisers. He also helped manage Messi’s move from Paris Saint Germain to Inter Miami in 2023.
Messi had trained with Miami as recently as Friday. His family had earlier said during the World Cup that Jorge was receiving treatment for a health problem.
Messi also became emotional during Argentina’s World Cup campaign. After scoring a hat trick against Algeria, he said his emotions came from “something unrelated to football” following “a few difficult, complicated days.”
Miami could not turn De Paul’s goal into a victory.
Monterrey levelled through Hugo Cuypers in the 47th minute. Diego Rossi then scored in the 90th minute to complete a 2-1 win.
The defeat hurt Miami’s chances of reaching the next stage of the Leagues Cup. But football took a secondary role as messages of support continued to arrive for Messi and his family.
Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys were among the clubs to pay tribute to Jorge. The Argentine Football Association and South American football body CONMEBOL also offered their condolences.
Barcelona also held a moment of silence before their preseason friendly against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
MLS commissioner Don Garber also sent his condolences.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jorge Messi. Jorge will be remembered for his quiet strength, kindness and unwavering devotion to his family. On behalf of Major League Soccer, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Lionel, the entire Messi family and all who loved Jorge. We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
It remains unclear when Messi will return to Inter Miami.
The Argentine had scored twice and provided an assist against Atletico San Luis on Wednesday. Those were his first goals since the World Cup.
Messi has also been one of Miami’s key players this season. He has scored 12 MLS goals and helped keep the club in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.
