Lionel Messi made an emotional return to action for Inter Miami on Wednesday, coming off the bench following the passing of his father Jorge last week.
Jorge Messi died in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina at the age of 68 after a long illness, leaving the football world in mourning alongside the family.
The 39-year-old Argentina forward attended a private funeral in Argentina on Sunday before flying back to the United States to rejoin his teammates.
Messi entered the match at half-time to enormous cheers from the Miami crowd, though his side suffered a 3-2 defeat to Mexican outfit Leon in the final Leagues Cup group game.
The result means Inter Miami have been knocked out in the opening phase of the competition for the first time since the Leagues Cup was expanded in 2023, the year Messi arrived and helped them lift the trophy.
Messi had previously been absent for Miami’s 2-1 loss to Monterrey in the Leagues Cup on Saturday, but made himself available to coach Guillermo Hoyos for the must-win encounter against Leon.
Ahead of his return, Messi had posted an emotional message on social media casting doubt on his future in football, saying he was “really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.”
Jorge Messi had been his son’s agent since the player was just 14 years old, witnessing his rise to become one of the greatest players the sport has ever produced.
Jorge was also at his son’s side when Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, and Messi revealed his father had urged him “to play in one last World Cup” despite his health deteriorating.
Argentina did reach the final of this summer’s tournament but were ultimately beaten 1-0 by Spain in extra time, meaning Jorge’s wish for his son was almost, but not quite, fulfilled.
Miami midfielder Yannick Bright, who scored his side’s second goal against Leon, described Messi’s decision to play as “incredible” and said the squad simply wanted to rally around their captain.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Bright said. “It shows how much he cares. When I saw he was here, all I was thinking about was to give my 150% for him.”
Bright added: “It’s a tough situation. We try to stay close to him and support him as much as we can, but it’s a lot.”
Leon coach Javier Gandolfi was equally moved by Messi’s presence, stating that Messi “is a human being that is different to the rest” before adding: “Today he demonstrated once more what he’s made of.”
