Event
Lionel Messi made a substitute appearance for Inter Miami on Wednesday following the death of his father, Jorge, hinting he may retire from football. Messi, 39, attended his father's private funeral in Rosario, Argentina, before returning to the United States to play in Inter Miami's 3-2 defeat by Leon in the final group game of the Leagues Cup. Jorge Messi, who passed away at age 68 after a long illness, had urged his son to play in one last World Cup.
2 published stories · security · source reliability 67%
The 39-year-old forward hinted at retirement in a social media post, but came on at half-time in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Leon, marking Miami’s first exit in the opening phase since the tournament expanded in 2023.
Background
Lionel Messi made a substitute appearance for Inter Miami in their 3-2 Leagues Cup defeat by Leon, shortly after attending the private funeral of his father, Jorge Messi. Jorge, who served as Lionel’s agent since he was 14, passed away at age 68 following a long illness in Rosario, Argentina. The appearance marked Messi’s first on-pitch action since his father’s death, occurring just days after the 39-year-old hinted at retirement in an emotional social media post. Despite Jorge’s previous urging for his son to play in one last World Cup, Messi expressed uncertainty about his future in the sport. Inter Miami were eliminated from the Leagues Cup in the group stage, the first time this has occurred since the tournament expanded in 2023.
Lionel Messi made a substitute appearance for Inter Miami in their 3-2 Leagues Cup defeat by Leon, shortly after attending the private funeral of his father, Jorge Messi. Jorge, who served as Lionel’s agent since he was 14, passed away at age 68 following a long illness in Rosari
Fact cards
Key entities: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Jorge Messi, Leon, Argentina, Rosario, United States, Leagues Cup.
Why did Messi play despite hinting at retirement? Messi returned to play shortly after attending his father’s funeral, describing his participation as a commitment to the squad during a difficult period, though he had previously expressed uncertainty about his future in the sport
BBC Sport | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cz9722y1ee7o | published 2026-08-13T07:19:46.000Z | primary source | Al Jazeera Global News | https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/8/13/messi-plays-in-inter-miami-defeat-only-hours-after-retirement-hint | published 2026-0
2026-08-08: Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father and agent, passed away in a hospital in Rosario, Argentina. 2026-08-08: Lionel Messi cut short his return to Inter Miami to attend his father’s funeral in Perez, near Rosario. 2026-08-12: Messi posted on social media expressing serious dou
Timeline
Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father and agent, passed away in a hospital in Rosario, Argentina.
Lionel Messi cut short his return to Inter Miami to attend his father’s funeral in Perez, near Rosario.
Messi posted on social media expressing serious doubts about continuing his football career.
Messi returned to Florida and played for Inter Miami as a second-half substitute in a 3-2 defeat to Leon in the Leagues Cup.
FAQ
Messi returned to play shortly after attending his father’s funeral, describing his participation as a commitment to the squad during a difficult period, though he had previously expressed uncertainty about his future in the sport.
Inter Miami lost 3-2 to Leon, with Leon scoring two goals from Daniel Arcila to overturn an early Inter Miami lead.
Leon player Jhohan Romaña embraced Messi during the match, a gesture described by Leon’s social media as an expression of respect and affection from the football community.
Inter Miami has been eliminated in the group stage, marking their first such exit since the tournament’s expansion in 2023.