Messi returns as Inter Miami substitute after father's death

Lionel Messi made a substitute appearance for Inter Miami on Wednesday in Miami in the final group game of the Leagues Cup after the death of his father, Jorge. He came on at half-time to loud cheers as Miami lost 3-2 to Leon.

Jorge passed away in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina last week at the age of 68 after a long illness. Messi is a 39-year-old Argentina forward and an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. After attending a private funeral in Argentina on Sunday, Messi flew back to the United States.

Messi had been absent for Miami's 2-1 loss to Monterrey on Saturday but made himself available to coach Guillermo Hoyos for the must-win game against Mexican side Leon. The defeat eliminated Miami in the opening phase of the Leagues Cup, the first time that has happened since the competition was expanded in 2023 — the year Messi arrived and they lifted the trophy.

Jorge had been Messi's agent since he was 14 and watched him become one of the sport's greatest ever players. He was at Messi's side when the forward captained his country to World Cup glory in 2022. Argentina reached the final of this summer's tournament but were beaten 1-0 by Spain in extra time.

Messi wrote that his father urged him "to play in one last World Cup" despite his health deteriorating. Miami midfielder Yannick Bright, who scored his side's second goal against Leon, called Messi's return "incredible", adding he and other team-mates just wanted to support their captain. "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% 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."

Leon coach Javier Gandolfi said Messi "is human being that is different to the rest". He added: "Today he demonstrated once more what he's made of."

In an emotional social media post Messi said he was considering his future in football and hinted he may retire, adding he was "really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer".