Lionel Messi’s teammates also honoured the club captain’s father, who died aged 68 in Rosario, Argentina, on Saturday. It wasn’t just Inter Miami who paid tribute to Jorge Messi. Messi missed Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup group-stage clash against Monterrey as he remained in Argentina with his family.
Key Factors
close friend and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul delivered an emotional tribute in the only goal Inter Miami scored in their 1-2 defeat While Messi mourns his father’s death. Miami had opened their Leagues Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Atletico San Luis and will now face Leon on Wednesday in their final group-stage game. Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and reached the final last year, but their hopes of reaching the knockout stage this time look bleak with one group match remaining. Newell’s Old Boys, the Argentine club where Messi played from 1995 to 2000, confirmed Jorge Messi’s death in a statement on X on Saturday.
Monterrey, meanwhile, will visit Nashville. Messi’s father, who played a major role in managing his son’s football career, died following a prolonged illness.
“Our hearts are with our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family,” the club said in a statement. “Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor, and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini,” the club said.
Earlier, both teams observed a minute’s silence for Jorge Messi before kick-off, while Inter Miami players wore black armbands.
Evidence and Data
Jorge, who also worked as Messi’s representative, had been in poor health in recent months. He was surrounded by his wife, Celia, and his children Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol during this difficult period. Jorge played an important role in Messi’s career from his early days and remained one of the most influential figures in the footballer’s life. The Inter Miami star also spent time with his family in Argentina after the FIFA World Cup, taking a break from football to be with his father. Messi stayed in Rosario and spent valuable time with Jorge before returning to the United States. He made his return to action for Inter Miami a week ago, but the time he spent with his family came during a difficult period. “I always needed my dad’s approval, ever since I was a kid. Messi, meanwhile, went through an emotional period during the competition. After scoring his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria, Messi broke down in tears while celebrating his opening goal. Jorge’s condition had kept him away from the tournament, with his health becoming a concern for the family during what was otherwise a memorable World Cup for Lionel. The FIFA World Cup may have concluded last month, but Lionel Messi has wasted no time getting back to breaking records. Messi continued his love affair with the Leagues Cup by becoming the competition’s all-time leading scorer. Messi found the net in the 11th and 44th minutes to inspire Inter Miami to victory and create another historic record. Telasco Segovia and defender Micael also got on the scoresheet, while Noah Allen starred with three assists as Miami stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches.
Lionel Messi’s emotional battle at 2026 World Cup Lionel Messi’s emotional battle at 2026 World Cup Jorge was also unwell during the 2026 World Cup and was unable to travel to the United States to watch Argentina, unlike the 2022 tournament when he was present to support his son. Making his first start since the tournament, the Inter Miami captain struck twice in a 4-2 win over Atletico San Luis in their opening Leagues Cup group-stage match. The brace took Messi to the top of the competition’s all-time scoring charts, adding yet another milestone to his remarkable career as Inter Miami began their 2026 Leagues Cup campaign with an impressive victory at home. The Argentine, who guided Inter Miami to the title in 2023 soon after joining the club, now has 14 goals in the tournament featuring teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX. The brace took his Leagues Cup tally to 14 goals in just 12 appearances, moving him one clear of Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. It was Messi’s first start since the FIFA World Cup, where he captained Argentina to a second successive final before the defending champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain. The 39-year-old had made his return as a substitute, playing 37 minutes in a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew.
He spent much of his final months moving between a medical centre in Rosario and his home as he received treatment, according to the family. After every match, I’d ask him what he thought of how I played,” Messi said previously. Speaking at the press conference later, the Argentine star explained that the tears were caused by “something unrelated to football” and came after he had experienced “a few difficult, complicated days. A few days later, the Messi family released a statement addressing Jorge’s “health situation” and confirmed that he was undergoing medical treatment.
He scored a brace in the last match he played earlier this week.
