Argentine football star Lionel Messi returned to the pitch on Wednesday, after publishing a letter to his late father, Jorge, who died on Saturday, in which he said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football.
He featured for Inter Miami in their third and final group-stage match of the 2026 Leagues Cup, which ended with a 3-2 loss to Mexico’s León, which eliminated the Herons from the tournament.
The Rosario-born player had spent several days in Argentina with his family as they said their final goodbyes to his father at a private ceremony on Sunday.
He returned to the United States on Wednesday and was included on coach Ángel Hoyos’ substitutes’ bench before coming on at the start of the second half.
Messi played the entire second half, replacing forward Daniel Pintér, who had scored the opener to give Miami a 1-0 lead. But the Herons couldn’t hold on, conceding twice before Daniel Arcilla’s 85th-minute strike sealed the victory for León and Inter Miami’s elimination.
The Argentina captain had a subdued outing, registering just one shot on target, which was saved, and taking one corner that he attempted to curl directly toward goalkeeper Oscar García.
Pondering retirement
Earlier Wednesday, Messi had raised doubts about his future in football in an open letter to his father posted on his Instagram account.
“I don’t know how I’m going to manage without you, I don’t know how to go on,” Messi wrote. “I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer,” he added.
Messi is currently under contract with Inter Miami through December 2028, although the deal includes opt-out clauses in 2026 and 2027.
Several recent rumors have linked him with a return to Argentina to play for his boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario, potentially allowing him to be closer to his family. However, no serious offers or approaches have been reported.
