Lionel Messi cut inside from the right in the 26th minute in Chester and bent a left-footed shot into the far corner, giving Inter Miami a 2-1 lead against Philadelphia Union. He allowed himself a brief smile with his teammates. Then he raised both hands to the sky, a tribute to his father Jorge, who died on 8 August at the age of 68.
The 2-2 draw on Wednesday left Inter Miami second in the Eastern Conference on 39 points. It was Messi’s first goal since his father’s passing, and only his third appearance since returning to the pitch.
Casemiro: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it’
The most striking tribute to Messi’s return had already come from inside the Inter Miami dressing room. After the Argentine’s first appearance since the bereavement, as a second-half substitute in a 3-2 Leagues Cup defeat to Club León on 12 August, Brazil midfielder Casemiro spoke about what it had cost the captain to be there at all.
“He’s an example. I’m sure he’s going through a very difficult time, but his commitment, not only to the players but also the club, was incredible,” Casemiro told reporters in comments carried by the Mirror.
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“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. All I can do is thank him for being here.”
“That’s why he’s so great and one of the best in history, if not the best. We have to take our hats off to him and say thank you, continue supporting him, and encouraging him.”
Inter Miami signed the 34-year-old as a free agent from Manchester United in July, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid on a contract that runs through the 2027 MLS season with a club option to 2029.
Four days after the funeral
Jorge Messi had been his son’s agent throughout a career that ran from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami. In an Instagram tribute reported by Fox Sports, Lionel wrote that he did not know how to carry on, and that after a life spent playing football he now had “serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer”.
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He missed Inter Miami’s match against Monterrey on 8 August to attend the funeral in Rosario. Four days later he returned as a second-half substitute against León, playing 45 minutes in a defeat that ended the club’s Leagues Cup run. The goal against Philadelphia, his 13th of the MLS season, arrived a week after that.
Head coach Guillermo Hoyos was less content with the point in Chester.
“We came to win but we couldn’t. We’re not happy with the draw because we don’t like it, but now we need to try to rest and think about the next game, which is in less than 72 hours,” Hoyos said.
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