Messi misses Miami game following father's death
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- Jorge Messi died Saturday at a hospital in Rosario at age 68, survived by four children: Lionel, brothers Rodrigo and Matías, and sister María Sol.
- Inter Miami held a minute's silence and had players wear black armbands before kickoff at Nu Stadium, with Rodrigo De Paul captaining the team in Messi's absence.
- Luis Suárez, suspended for Saturday's match, posted an Instagram tribute telling Messi that Jorge 'from above, will continue to watch you with pride.'
- Messi had just recorded two goals and an assist in Inter Miami's 4-2 Leagues Cup win over Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday.
- Messi navigated his father's illness during the recent World Cup, crying after scoring against Algeria and telling reporters he wept for 'a reason unrelated to sports.'
- Jorge Messi served as his son's agent and traveled with him to Barcelona in the early 2000s for the La Masia trial that launched Lionel's career — a moment Lionel revisited in a 2007 Radio del Plata interview about both of them locking themselves in their room to cry.
Why it matters: Inter Miami loses its captain and primary playmaker during a competitive Leagues Cup run, and the club's tributes — a minute's silence, black armbands, De Paul wearing the armband — show how the organization is rallying around Messi. The loss also echoes the emotional weight Messi carried through the recent World Cup final while his father was already ill.
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