Messi absent as Inter Miami lose to Monterrey following father Jorge’s death

Lionel Messi was absent from Inter Miami’s 2-1 Leagues Cup defeat to Monterrey after the death of his father, Jorge, with team-mates and clubs across world football pausing to pay tribute over the weekend.

Jorge Messi, 68, died following a long illness, with reports indicating he passed away in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, either late on Friday or on Saturday. He had been a hugely influential figure in his son’s career, acting as Lionel’s agent since the forward was just 14 years old.

Messi flew back to Argentina by private jet with his wife and three children, missing Miami’s Leagues Cup group-stage fixture against Monterrey at Nu Stadium on Saturday night. A private funeral is understood to have taken place at a cemetery in Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario.

Emotional scenes in Miami

Inter Miami held a minute’s silence before kick-off, with players wearing black armbands and Jorge Messi’s name displayed on the big screens. The club added a black ribbon to its social media profile pictures and released a statement reading: “Our hearts are with our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family.”

The most poignant moment came in the 32nd minute when Argentina international Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring for Miami and celebrated by removing his shirt to reveal Messi’s number 10 jersey underneath. Miami held their lead until half-time before Belgian forward Hugo Cuypers levelled for Monterrey, and Diego Rossi struck a 90th-minute winner to complete the comeback.

Miami striker Luis Suarez, who was suspended for the match, wrote on Instagram that Jorge would continue to watch over his son “with pride, as he always did”. Fans inside the stadium held up handmade signs in support of Messi and his family.

Tributes from Barcelona to Buenos Aires

Barcelona, the club Jorge helped persuade to sign his son as a 13-year-old in 2000, observed a moment of silence before their friendly against Nottingham Forest in Udine. The club thanked Jorge “for his commitment to our club, for entrusting us with the beginnings and the most glorious years of his son Leo’s football career”.

Paris St-Germain, where Messi played between 2021 and 2023, also sent their support to the family. The Argentine Football Association said it “deeply mourns with sadness and sorrow the passing of Jorge Messi, father of our captain and emblem, Lionel Messi”, adding that it stood in solidarity with the family “during this difficult time”.

Argentine rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate both held periods of silence before their own matches, while fans left flowers and flags outside Messi’s childhood home in Rosario. The scale of the tributes, spanning three continents and several of the biggest names in the sport, underlined the deep affection held for Messi and the recognition of his father’s role in shaping one of football’s greatest careers.

Sources

• BBC Sport
• The Independent

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.