Lionel Messi made an emotional return for Inter Miami on Wednesday following the death of his father, but his appearance was not enough as the Florida side lost 3-2 to Mexico's León and were knocked out of the Leagues Cup.
The Miami captain flew back to Florida from Argentina on Tuesday night after attending the funeral of his father, Jorge, on Sunday. He came on at half-time to a huge ovation from the crowd.
On Wednesday morning, Messi paid an emotional tribute to his father on social media and admitted he was unsure whether he wanted to continue playing football.
"I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to go on," Messi wrote.
"I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer."
Miami took a 1-0 lead, but two goals from Colombian Daniel Arcila helped León complete a comeback victory and become the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament between MLS and Liga MX clubs.
Messi had made himself available to Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos for the must-win final group match after missing Saturday's defeat by Monterrey.
Yannick Bright, who scored one of Miami's goals, described Messi's return as "incredible" and said he and his team-mates wanted to support their captain.
"I wasn't expecting it. It shows how much he cares. When I saw he was here, all I was thinking about was to give my 150 per cent for him," Bright said.
"It's a tough situation. We try to stay close to him and support him as much as we can, but it's a lot."
Brazilian team-mate Casemiro, who joined Miami after the World Cup, said Messi was "an example for all of us" because of his commitment to playing during such a difficult personal period.
León coach Javier Gandolfi also praised Messi's character. "Today he demonstrated once more what he's made of. He is a human being who is different from the rest," Gandolfi said.
It was the first time Inter Miami had been knocked out at the opening stage since the Leagues Cup was expanded in 2023.
Miami won the trophy that year with Messi, shortly after he joined the Florida club alongside Spanish players Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Miami reached the 2025 final but lost 3-0 to Seattle Sounders. The match was also marked by a brawl after the final whistle, which resulted in Luis Suarez being suspended for the whole of this year's tournament.
