Messi Returns After Father’s Death as Inter Miami Crash Out of Leagues Cup

Lionel Messi made an emotional return to action following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, but could not prevent Inter Miami from being eliminated from the Leagues Cup after a 3-2 defeat to Mexico’s Leon.

The Inter Miami captain travelled back to Florida from Argentina on Tuesday night after attending his father’s funeral on Sunday. He started the second half and received a huge ovation from supporters as he returned to the pitch.

Jorge Messi, who also served as his son’s agent, died last week at the age of 68. Before the match, Messi shared an emotional tribute to his father and admitted that the loss had left him questioning his future in football.

“I don’t know what I’ll do without you, I don’t know how to go on,” Messi wrote. He also said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play for much longer, adding uncertainty to speculation over the later stages of his career.

Inter Miami initially took control of the match, but Leon fought back through Colombian forward Daniel Arcila, whose two goals helped the Mexican side complete the comeback. The result made Leon the first team to reach the Leagues Cup quarter-finals.

Messi had made himself available for the decisive group-stage fixture after missing Miami’s defeat to Monterrey on Saturday. Teammate Yannick Bright described his return as “incredible” and said the squad wanted to support their captain through the difficult period.

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro also praised Messi for returning to play despite his personal loss, while Leon coach Javier Gandolfi said the Argentine once again showed his exceptional character.

The defeat ended Miami’s hopes of another deep run in the competition. The club won the expanded Leagues Cup in 2023 after Messi joined alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, while they reached the final in 2025 before losing 3-0 to Seattle Sounders.