During a Major League Soccer (MLS) match between Inter Miami and Philadelphia Union, footballer Lionel Messi scored a goal, after which he looked up to the sky. This was his first goal since the passing of his father, Jorge Messi.
After netting the ball into the net with a magnificent curled shot in the 26th minute, the great footballer raised his finger to the sky to pay tribute to his father. This moment was the most touching during the game.
Following his father's death, Messi also wrote him an emotional message, calling Jorge not just a father, but also a friend and an agent. Messi's father, Jorge, passed away on August 8th in Rosario, Argentina, at the age of 68. He served as Messi's agent for a long time. Messi himself returned to the USA after a trip to Argentina to attend his father's funeral and is gradually regaining his form.
At Subaru Park stadium in Pennsylvania, Lionel Messi put pressure on the Philadelphia defense from the start. In the 26th minute, he bypassed an opponent and beautifully directed the ball towards the goal with his left foot, giving the goalkeeper no chance to save it.
This goal was the 922nd in Lionel Messi's career. In MLS, he has already scored 70 goals. In the current season, he has scored 13 goals in 17 league matches and recorded nine assists. Thanks to this goal, Messi made the race for the 'Golden Boot' even more intense, trailing Petr Paulinho of Dallas by only one goal. He won this award last season. It was also his first goal after the 2026 World Cup Final; his last goal in the tournament was scored against Egypt in the Round of 16 match.
'Inter Miami' initially took the lead in the 21st minute thanks to a Messi cross that Luis Suarez received and sent into the goal by Daniel Punter. Philadelphia equalized after a volley by Indiana Vasiliev, making the score 1-1, but Messi's goal allowed Miami to take the lead again with a score of 2-1.
In the second half, in the 58th minute, 18-year-old defender Neil Pier scored a header, bringing the score to 2-2. Four minutes later, Milan Iloski of Philadelphia scored a goal, but VAR disallowed it due to offside. Ultimately, the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
After returning from Argentina, Lionel Messi first played on August 12th against Leon. He played in the second half, running for 45 minutes. Then he was given a place in the starting eleven in the match against Nashville, where he missed a penalty, and two of his attempts hit the post. Nevertheless, he provided an assist for Telasco Segovia's goal.