De Paul pays emotional tribute to grieving Messi

Rodrigo De Paul paid an emotional tribute to Lionel Messi’s late father, Jorge Messi, after scoring for Inter Miami in their 2-1 Leagues Cup defeat to Monterrey on Saturday.

De Paul struck a superb long-range effort in the 32nd minute to put Miami ahead. He then removed his jersey to reveal a Messi No. 10 shirt underneath.

The Argentine midfielder pointed to the No. 10 on his back, dedicating his goal to Messi, whose father died earlier Saturday at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina.

De Paul and his Miami teammates also wore black armbands in memory of Jorge Messi, hours after news of his death emerged.

De Paul has shared a close friendship with Messi since their Argentina days. Together, they won the 2022 World Cup and reached the 2026 World Cup final this summer.

The pair reunited at club level last year when Miami signed De Paul from Atletico Madrid.

Despite De Paul’s emotional opener, Monterrey rallied through goals from former MLS players Hugo Cuypers and Diego Rossi.

The defeat leaves Miami facing a difficult path to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Messi’s availability for Wednesday’s match against Club Leon remains uncertain, with the forward reportedly in Argentina with his family.