Lionel Messi made an emotional return to action for Inter Miami on Wednesday, days after burying his father, Jorge, even as he continues to weigh his future in football.
Jorge Messi, who had served as his son’s agent since the Argentina captain was 14, died in Rosario last week at the age of 68 after a long illness. The 39-year-old attended his father’s private funeral in Argentina on Sunday before flying back to the United States.
Messi had sat out Miami’s 2-1 defeat to Monterrey in the Leagues Cup on Saturday but made himself available for the club’s decisive group-stage clash against Leon. He came on at half-time in a 3-2 loss, receiving a rousing ovation from home fans.
The defeat ended Inter Miami’s hopes of advancing past the opening phase of the competition for the first time since the Leagues Cup expanded in 2023 — the same year Messi joined the club and led them to the title.
Before his return, Messi had opened up in an emotional social media post about uncertainty over his playing future, admitting he was unsure whether he would continue “for much longer.”
Jorge remained a central figure throughout his son’s career, watching him rise to become one of football’s greatest players and sharing in the celebrations when Argentina lifted the 2022 World Cup.
Messi also disclosed that his father had urged him to feature in “one last World Cup” despite his declining health. Argentina reached this year’s final but fell 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright said Messi’s decision to return caught his teammates off guard.
“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 giving my 150% for him.”
“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,” he added.
Leon manager Javier Gandolfi also commended Messi’s resilience, describing him as a player who stands apart from everyone else even under the most difficult circumstances.
“He is a human being who is different to the rest,” Gandolfi said. “Today he demonstrated once more what he’s made of.”
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