Messi-less Inter Miami stunned by Monterrey in Leagues Cup

MIAMI: Inter Miami suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Monterrey in the Leagues Cup on Saturday, with Lionel Messi absent as he travelled to Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.

The match began with an emotional tribute to Messi’s father, who died at the age of 68. Both teams observed a minute of silence before kick-off, while Inter Miami expressed its support for their captain and his family.

Despite missing their star player, Miami looked set for another positive result after Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring in the 32nd minute. The Argentine midfielder celebrated in a particularly touching manner, removing his No. 7 shirt to reveal a No. 10 underneath as a tribute to Messi.

The hosts carried their 1-0 advantage into half-time, but Monterrey quickly changed the momentum after the break.

Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers equalised just two minutes into the second half, putting Miami under increasing pressure. The match appeared destined for a draw until Monterrey delivered a late blow.

Uruguayan forward Diego Rossi struck in the 90th minute to complete Monterrey’s comeback and leave Inter Miami empty-handed.

The defeat comes after Miami opened their Leagues Cup campaign with a convincing 4-2 victory over Atletico San Luis. The MLS champions will now look to respond when they face Leon on Wednesday.

For Messi, however, football understandably took a back seat as he returned to Argentina to be with his family following his father’s death.

The emotional night in Miami showed just how much the Argentine captain means to the club, both on and off the pitch.