Rodrigo De Paul honours Lionel Messi and his late father with goal celebration for Inter Miami

Rodrigo De Paul dedicated his goal for Inter Miami against Monterrey to close friend Lionel Messi, who missed the Leagues Cup match following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.

De Paul had already decided how he would show his support for the Argentina captain. The Inter Miami midfielder wore Messi’s number 10 shirt underneath his own number seven jersey, then revealed it after scoring.

The tribute came in the 31st minute at Chase Stadium. De Paul struck a powerful low shot from outside the penalty area which found the back of the net, putting Inter Miami 1-0 ahead.

As soon as the ball crossed the line, he removed his playing shirt to reveal Messi’s jersey underneath. The gesture recalled one made by Messi in 2020, after the death of Argentina great Diego Maradona.

While playing for Barcelona, Messi celebrated a goal against Osasuna by showing a Newell’s Old Boys shirt bearing Maradona’s iconic number 10. The former Barcelona captain had worn the shirt beneath his club jersey before displaying it to honour the late legend.

Despite De Paul’s opener, Inter Miami were unable to hold on to their advantage. Monterrey came back to win 2-1, leaving the hosts in a difficult position in the race to reach the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami must finish the group stage among the top four Major League Soccer clubs on points to qualify for the last eight. They currently have three points, although other matches in the current round have yet to be played.

Messi was absent because he was travelling to Rosario to be with his family. De Paul wore the captain’s armband in his absence, while Inter Miami also paid tribute to Jorge Messi before kick-off.

The name “Jorge Messi” appeared on the Chase Stadium screen in Inter Miami’s distinctive pink, alongside the years of his birth and death: “1958-2026”.

The players and officials then observed a minute’s silence in his memory before the national anthems of Mexico and the United States were played.

Luis Suarez, one of Messi’s closest friends and former Barcelona team-mates, also sent a message to the Argentina forward. Suarez was unavailable for the match against Monterrey because he was suspended.

Writing on Instagram, the veteran Uruguay international said: “My friend, I embrace you and your whole family tightly. Your father from above will continue to look at you with pride, as he always did. All my love at this moment to the Messi family. Rest in peace, Jorge.”