Story by Sam Wallace
Lionel Messi shocked his Inter Miami team-mates by returning to action on Wednesday night, just hours after suggesting he may quit football following the death of his father.
The world’s greatest footballer posted an emotional statement about Jorge’s passing at 68 after a long illness, understood to be cancer.
Jorge’s condition meant he could not attend this summer’s World Cup finals in North America.
But there were huge cheers for Messi when he came off the substitutes’ bench during Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup encounter against Leon. He was returning from a post-World Cup break and period of compassionate leave.
Messi’s sudden return caught his own team-mates by surprise, with former Manchester United midfielder Casemiro among those to say they did not expect to see him before the match.
“Of course, you’re happy when you see Leo in the dressing room. But I have to admit that he really surprised me. His incredible commitment surprised me,” the Brazil international told reporters after the match.
Casemiro, a team-mate of Messi’s at Inter Miami after his summer move, was impressed by the Argentine’s return – Dax Tamargo/Shutterstock
“In the end, you start thinking and you say to yourself: ‘That’s why he’s so great’. That’s why he’s one of the best in history, if not the greatest of all time. He keeps showing why he’s the best. We can only take our hats off to him.
“All we can do is thank him and continue supporting him. We wish him and his family all the best. What he did for us today, and the fact that he even came here, is truly incredible.”
Messi could not prevent Inter Miami slipping to a 3-2 defeat as they were eliminated from the Leagues Cup – the annual tournament made up of teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico.
Messi could not prevent Inter Miami’s elimination as they lost 3-2 to Leon – Lynne Sladky/AP
Miami midfielder Yannick Bright, who scored in the defeat, also praised Messi’s commitment and said his presence inspired the squad to perform better for him. “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 to give my 150 per cent 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.”
Tribute to late father
Before the match, Messi, 39, wrote on Instagram, addressing his late father: “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, I don’t know how to go on. All I ever did was play football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.”
Messi paid tribute to his late father, Jorge, in a lengthy Instagram post – Instagram/@leomessi
It was accepted that the World Cup final defeat by Spain was the last of Messi’s 207 caps for Argentina, but he had signed a contract to continue playing for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami until the end of the 2027-28 season.
David Beckham, one of the club’s minority stake owners, immediately added his condolences to the post. He wrote: “We are with you and your family, Leo, always.”
Messi’s Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain last month – Paul Ellis/Getty Images
Jorge’s absence this summer, as Messi and his team-mates attempted to defend the World Cup, was a notable feature of coverage, especially in Argentina. It was well known that he was seriously ill and that it was a factor in Messi’s earlier reluctance to commit to the tournament.
