Inter Miami paid tribute to Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, after his death following an illness was announced on Saturday. He was 68.
Miami was hosting Liga MX’s Monterrey at Nu Stadium in the Leagues Cup, with Lionel Messi absent as he traveled home to Rosario, Argentina, to be with his family. Messi had been training with the team as recently as Friday. During the World Cup, Messi’s family had indicated in a statement that Jorge was undergoing treatment for a “health situation.” Lionel was visibly emotional at times during Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, saying after his hat trick in his team’s opening match versus Algeria that his tears were due to “something unrelated to football” after “a few difficult, complicated days.”
Messi’s MLS club held a minute of silence before Saturday’s match for Jorge, who also served as Lionel’s agent and business manager and confidant throughout his career and helped oversee his move from PSG to Miami in 2023.
Miami players wore black armbands to honor their captain and his family. Messi’s close friend and international teammate, Rodrigo De Paul, captained the squad in his absence.
Minuto de silencio en memoria de Jorge Messi, padre de Leo Messi.
Descanse en paz. pic.twitter.com/assxDP4P6J
— MLS Español (@MLSes) August 9, 2026
Naturally, it was De Paul who scored Miami’s opening goal in the 32nd minute, and he wasted little time in taking off his shirt to reveal he was wearing a Messi No. 10 kit underneath it as a nod to his grieving teammate.
Rodrigo De Paul strikes from distance for the opener and honors his friend Leo Messi and his family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/96GEG7XpMh
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 9, 2026
Around Nu Stadium, fans held messages and signs of support for Messi as well.
Fans at Nu Stadium offer their support for Lionel Messi after the death of his father (Chandan Khanna / AFP / Getty Images)
Unfortunately for Miami, it could not maintain its lead and fell to Monterrey 2-1 on goals from two recently acquired attacking stars from MLS. Hugo Cuypers (Chicago) and Diego Rossi (Columbus) scored in the 47th and 90th minutes, respectively, to secure all three points and deal the hosts a big blow in their hopes of getting out of the Leagues Cup’s opening phase.
But the result was largely secondary on a day when tributes for the Messi family poured in throughout the day from around the soccer world, with clubs — including Messi’s Argentine youth team, Newell’s Old Boys, and Barcelona, where he rose to prominence — the Argentina federation and the South American confederation among the many writing messages and offering condolences.
Barcelona, which faced Nottingham Forest in a preseason friendly Saturday, also observed a prematch moment of silence out of respect.
An emotional moment of silence for Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and longtime agent, ahead of Barcelona’s friendly against Nottingham Forest ❤️
📺 Stream free on CBS Sports Golazo Network pic.twitter.com/PQOUMSAfBp
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 8, 2026
MLS commissioner Don Garber shared a statement of condolence, writing, “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’s unclear when Messi, who scored his first two goals since the World Cup and added an assist in Miami’s Leagues Cup win over Atlético San Luis on Wednesday night, will return to the club. Entering Saturday, he was the all-time leading scorer in the Leagues Cup (14 goals; tied with LAFC’s Denis Bouanga) and the two-time reigning MLS MVP. After leading Miami to an MLS Cup title last season, he’s one off the league’s golden boot pace with 12 goals, and, just over halfway into the regular season, has Miami in contention for the Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the team with the league’s best record.