Lionel Messi made an emotional return on Wednesday following the death of his father, Jorge, and his doubts about retirement, but his comeback could not save Inter Miami from a 3-2 defeat to Mexico’s Leon in the Leagues Cup.
The Miami captain returned to Florida from Argentina on Tuesday night after attending his father’s funeral on Sunday. He came on at half-time to a huge ovation.
Jorge, who was Messi’s agent, died last week at 68.
Earlier Wednesday, Messi shared an emotional tribute to his father on social media, admitting he was unsure about continuing his football career.
“I don’t know what I’ll do without you, I don’t know how to go on,” Messi wrote.
“I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer.”
Miami took a 1-0 lead, but two goals from Colombian Daniel Arcila helped Leon complete a comeback and become the first team to reach the tournament’s quarter-finals.
Messi made himself available to coach Guillermo Hoyos after missing Saturday’s defeat to Monterrey.
Yannick Bright called his return “incredible,” saying the team 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 percent 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.”
Casemiro said Messi was “an example for all of us,” while Leon coach Javier Gandolfi praised his commitment.
“Today he demonstrated once more what he’s made of,” Gandolfi said of Messi. “He is a human being that is different to the rest.”
It was Miami’s first opening-phase exit since the tournament expanded in 2023. They won that year with Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Miami reached the 2025 final but lost 3-0 to Seattle Sounders. The match ended in a brawl, leading to Luis Suarez’s suspension for this year’s tournament.
