Messi returns after father's death but Inter Miami eliminated from Leagues Cup by León

Messi's emotional return

Lionel Messi appeared for Inter Miami on Wednesday night, coming on as a substitute at the start of the second half in the Leagues Cup group finale against Club León at Miami's Nu Stadium. His presence on the bench was a surprise, as the 39-year-old had not rejoined training since travelling to Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 68 in his hometown of Rosario after a long illness. Messi attended a private funeral on Sunday and flew back to the United States on Tuesday night. He replaced goalscorer Daniel Pinter at halftime and received a loud ovation from the home crowd, despite not having warmed up during the interval with the other substitutes.

Earlier on Wednesday, Messi published an emotional tribute to his father on Instagram, expressing uncertainty about his playing future. Jorge Messi had served as his son's agent and managed his business affairs throughout a career that included eight Ballon d'Or awards and the 2022 World Cup. The Argentina forward wrote that his father had been at his side from the beginning and lamented that they could not finish the journey together.

I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to keep going. All I ever did was play soccer, and now I have serious doubts about whether I'll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the beginning, there was so little left. Why didn't you hold on a little longer so we could finish together?

León's second-half comeback

Daniel Pinter had given Inter Miami a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute with an assist from Ian Fray, and the MLS side held that advantage through halftime. León responded with three goals in the second half. Daniel Arcila equalised with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box in the 50th minute. Juan Pablo Domínguez put the Mexican side ahead in the 61st minute. Yannick Bright scored to bring Inter Miami level, but Arcila struck again in the 83rd minute, whipping the go-ahead goal past goalkeeper Óscar García for his fourth goal of the tournament. It was the second consecutive match in which Inter Miami blew a second-half lead, following their 2-1 loss to Monterrey on Saturday.

Elimination and group standings

The defeat eliminated Inter Miami from the Leagues Cup at the group stage, the first time the club has failed to advance past the first phase since the tournament expanded in 2023. Inter Miami finished with three points from one win and two losses. The club had won the competition in 2023, when Messi first arrived alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and reached the final in 2025, losing 3-0 to Seattle Sounders. Luis Suárez was suspended for this year's edition following an incident after that final.

Club León, with nine points from three wins, became the first team to qualify for the quarterfinals and moved to the top of the Liga MX group standings. Only the top four clubs from the MLS standings and the top four from Liga MX advance to the knockout rounds. Inter Miami had entered the match 12th in the MLS standings, needing a win and help from other results to survive. The tournament also lost another high-profile figure, as Antoine Griezmann's Orlando City was eliminated after a 2-2 draw with Atlético San Luis.