Miami (GNP): Lionel Messi missed Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup defeat to Monterrey on Saturday night following the death of his father, as team-mates paid tribute to the Argentine forward and his family before and during the match.
Jorge Messi died on Saturday at the age of 68 after a long illness. He had served as his son’s agent since Lionel was 14 years old and passed away in a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. Messi flew back to Argentina from Miami later that evening aboard a private jet, accompanied by his wife and three children. A private funeral was held on Sunday at a cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario.
Inter Miami paid tribute to Jorge Messi with a minute’s silence before kick-off at Nu Stadium, where players wore black armbands and his name was displayed on the big screens. The club also added a black ribbon to its social media profile pictures and issued a statement expressing solidarity with Messi and his family during the difficult time.
During the match, which Miami lost 2-1, Argentina international Rodrigo de Paul celebrated the opening goal by removing his shirt to reveal Messi’s underneath, in a gesture of tribute to his team-mate. Fans in attendance held up handmade signs offering support to Messi and paying respects to his late father. Miami striker Luis Suarez, who was unavailable for the match through suspension, shared a message on social media stating that Jorge would continue to watch over his son with pride.
Tributes extended beyond Inter Miami, with Messi’s former club Barcelona observing a moment of silence before their friendly match against Nottingham Forest in Udine, Italy.
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Jorge had played a significant role in Messi’s early career, having accompanied his then-thirteen-year-old son to Catalonia in 2000 and helping persuade Barcelona to sign him. In its own tribute, Barcelona thanked Jorge for his commitment to the club and for entrusting it with the beginnings and most successful years of his son’s football career.
In Rosario, fans gathered outside Messi’s childhood home to leave flags and flowers, while Argentine clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate both observed periods of silence ahead of their respective matches. The Argentine Football Association issued a statement expressing its sorrow over Jorge Messi’s passing, describing him as the father of the national team’s captain and offering its solidarity with the family during the difficult period.
Paris Saint-Germain, the French club Messi represented between 2021 and 2023 after leaving Barcelona, also extended its condolences, expressing full support for Messi, his family and loved ones during what it described as a painful ordeal, while wishing Jorge eternal rest.
