Lionel Messi delivered an emotional performance on Wednesday, scoring his first goal since the death of his father and agent, Jorge Messi, who passed away on August 8, 2026, at age 68. During Inter Miami’s 2-2 Major League Soccer draw against the Philadelphia Union, the 39-year-old superstar found the net in the 26th minute with a signature curling left-footed strike into the far corner. Following the goal, Messi shared a restrained celebration with his teammates before pointing his hands toward the sky in a poignant tribute.
The Argentine forward had been instrumental in Miami’s earlier equalizer, initiating the play five minutes prior by finding Luis Suarez on the left flank. Suarez then delivered a cross that set up Daniel Pinter for a close-range finish. Despite these efforts, Philadelphia secured a point through goals from Indiana Vassilev in the 11th minute and Neil Pierre in the 58th minute.
Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos expressed frustration with the result, stating, “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.” That upcoming fixture is a Saturday clash against Toronto FC.
With his latest strike, Messi has reached 13 goals this season, placing him second in the league scoring charts. He currently trails Croatian forward Petar Musa by three goals, following Musa’s brace in FC Dallas’s 4-3 win over Real Salt Lake. Messi had previously gone scoreless in two appearances since returning from Argentina, a period that saw Miami eliminated from the Leagues Cup by Leon and suffer a 4-1 league defeat to Nashville, during which Messi missed a penalty.
Inter Miami is currently enduring a four-match winless streak. The team now sits seven points behind Eastern Conference leaders Nashville, who secured a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls on the same night.
