Inter Miami star Lionel Messi scored his first goal since the passing of his father during an MLS matchup against Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.
The 39-year-old Argentine received a pass unmarked on the right side of the box in the 26th minute, cut back to his left, and curled an exquisite shot into the net to make the game 2-1.
Messi gave a small fist pump before being mobbed by his teammates for support. He then gave a double finger point toward the sky, paying a subtle tribute to his late father, Jorge Messi.
It was the first goal Messi scored since Jorge died from an undisclosed illness on Friday, August 7, at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina. Following the match, the 2022 World Cup winner shared an emotional tribute on Instagram alongside a photograph with his father, captioned in Spanish, "I love you, pa."
Instagram Tribute and Retirement Doubts
In his Instagram post, Messi admitted he is struggling with grief and hinted that he could quit football in the near future.
"Dad, I still can't believe you're gone," Messi wrote. "It hasn't sunk in yet, or rather, I don't want to accept it. It's very difficult for me to imagine never seeing you again, never talking to you again."
"I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much to enjoy together," he continued. "I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to go on. I only played football and now I have serious doubts that I'll continue doing that for much longer."
Messi reflected on their close relationship throughout his career, writing: "You were by my side from the beginning, it was so close to the end. Why couldn't you hold on that little bit longer and we could have finished together?"
World Cup Sacrifice and Final Loss
Messi revealed that his father was the main driving force behind his decision to compete in this summer's World Cup, despite deteriorating health just days before the tournament started.
"You kept asking me to play in the last World Cup, and just a few days before it started, you got worse," Messi wrote. "It was the first time you wouldn't be in a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you'd get better and be well enough to travel. I told you we were going to reach the final so you could travel."
Argentina reached the final in New York, but lost 1-0 to Spain as Messi struggled with physical limitations. "Every time a game ended, I waited and missed your message," Messi recalled. "That's when I realized the situation was really serious. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time and for you to see a game. We reached the final and you couldn't be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn't, my legs couldn't take it anymore. This time I tried to go against my physical limitations, but I couldn't. I never managed to feel well."
When Messi returned home, his father believed Argentina had lost the final on penalties. "We couldn't talk about anything that happened. You couldn't enjoy any of it. We didn't win the championship, but you don't know how much we enjoyed every game," Messi added. "Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play."
Messi expressed his gratitude for his father's lifelong guidance, from driving him to practice after work to managing his business career. "I know that his happiness was seeing his family well, his wife, his children and, above all, without others knowing, seeing me play," Messi wrote. "It's always been like this since I was little. You'd take me to all the practices as soon as you got home from work. Many times, Mom would take me because you were working."
He added: "Obviously, you never missed a game. How you suffered watching me, and how you enjoyed it, even though you never gave me many compliments. You were a father, a friend, and a businessman. You were always the person you needed to be in every situation and you never made a mistake. Aside from a few demands or arguments, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out exactly as you said."
Concluding his tribute, Messi wrote: "I will miss you very much, but you will always be present, especially in the upbringing of my children, because I teach and educate them as you did with me. Rest in peace and watch over us from up there as you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad."
Tributes and Support From Ronaldo
Following Jorge's death, tributes poured in from across the football community, including from Messi's boyhood club Newell's Old Boys, Barcelona, and the Argentina national team.
Longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo replied to Messi's Instagram post, writing: "A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength."
Ronaldo lost his own father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, in 2005 to an alcoholism-related liver condition when the Portuguese star was 20 years old. Speaking to Piers Morgan in 2019, Ronaldo said: "I really don’t know my father 100 per cent. He was a drunk person. I never spoke with him, like a normal conversation. It was hard."
Messi missed Inter Miami's defeat against Monterrey on Sunday to return home to Argentina. On Instagram stories, he thanked supporters for their condolences: "I want to sincerely thank everyone for all the love, respect and enormous consideration you have shown me and my family during this incredibly painful time following the loss of my dad. Thank you for being there for us, for every message, every gesture and, above all, for respecting our grief and our privacy."
Health Struggles and Media Controversy
Jorge Messi had been dealing with an unconfirmed medical condition in Argentina in recent months. His health issues first became public when Lionel wept on the pitch during the World Cup following a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening group match in Kansas City.
Asked about his tears, Messi said: "No, honestly it's something completely unrelated to sports. It's been a few difficult days, complicated."
Journalist Eduardo Feinmann later explained on Radio Mitre: "This has to do with his father. His father is not in good health. For quite some time now, several months, since last year. And this week there were some situations that slightly worsened his health, and Messi is going through this internal struggle. In other words, like any human being."
Jorge suffered a medical episode at home in January and underwent cardiovascular and neurological tests in hospital. In June, an Argentine broadcaster falsely reported that Jorge had died, before later issuing an emotional apology and stepping down from her position.
Family Background and Business Career
Jorge Messi worked for a steel manufacturer in Villa Constitucion before becoming his son's full-time agent and business manager, overseeing his multi-million dollar empire off the pitch.
He married Celia Cuccittini in 1978 after meeting her in Rosario, where they raised four children: Rodrigo, Matias, Lionel, and Maria Sol. The couple remained together until Jorge's death, splitting their time between Rosario and Miami, where Lionel plays for David Beckham's Inter Miami.
Jorge guided Lionel's career from Newell's Old Boys to Barcelona's La Masia academy in 2000, managing his 21 years in Spain, orchestrating his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and helping facilitate his move to Major League Soccer.
In 2016, both father and son were convicted of three tax offenses in Spain over unpaid taxes on image rights income between 2007 and 2009, receiving suspended 21-month prison sentences. Spain's Supreme Court reduced Jorge's sentence to 15 months on review in 2017, alongside substantial fines.
