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Rodrigo De Paul delivered a stunning goal and an emotional tribute during Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup clash against Monterrey on Saturday night. After unleashing a beautiful long-range strike to open the scoring in the 32nd minute, the Argentine midfielder pulled off his jersey to reveal Lionel Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt underneath. Turning his back to the crowd, he pointed to his best friend’s name, sending a message of love and support during an incredibly difficult time.
Inter Miami Squad Wears Black Armbands To Pay Tribute To Lionel Messi’s Father
After taking a pass outside the penalty area and curling a rocket of a shot past the diving Monterrey goalkeeper, De Paul sprinted toward the corner flag. Knowing he would receive a yellow card for the action, he still chose to remove his Inter Miami kit to show off the Messi jersey he was wearing underneath. It was a beautiful, raw moment of brotherhood that showed exactly how tight-knit this squad is, regardless of the in-game consequences.
The touching gesture came on a heavy-hearted weekend for the team. Just hours earlier, news broke that Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, had passed away at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina. With Messi absent from the match to be with his family, De Paul, who has been a rock for his captain through their World Cup runs and now in MLS, stepped up to honour him. The entire Inter Miami squad also wore black armbands during the match as a sign of respect for Jorge.
Inter Miami 1-2 Monterrey
While De Paul’s 32nd-minute stunner gave Miami a 1-0 advantage that they comfortably carried into halftime, the team couldn’t hold off Monterrey in the second half. The LIGA MX side fought back aggressively, equalising in the 47th minute through a goal from Hugo Cuypers. Despite several massive saves from Miami’s defence to try and preserve the lead, Monterrey broke through again in the 90th minute with a late winner from Diego Rossi, handing Inter Miami a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat in Group A.