Rodrigo De Paul channels all of his energy into Lionel Messi: A goal and emotional tribute for his Inter Miami and Argentina friend

Saturday was a truly trying day for everyone associated with Lionel Messi. The soccer legend's father, Jorge Messi, passed away at 68 years old in Rosario, Argentina. Jorge had been dealing with an illness for a while, which became apparent during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where fans saw a more emotional Leo Messi than ever before. Jorge's death forced Lionel to miss Inter Miami's Leagues Cup group match against Monterrey on Saturday night, as he's currently with his family in Argentina. While Messi and his family go through a heartbreaking time, one of Lionel's best friends showed that he's always in the mind of those who love him. During Inter Miami's game against Monterrey, Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring with a sublime strike from outside of the box. Once the ball hit the back of the net, De Paul took off his own jersey to show off a No. 10 Messi jersey. De Paul was wearing it underneath his own, just in case he was ablet to get on the scoresheet. Like he has done for both the Argentina national team and Inter Miami, De Paul showed up when Messi needed him most. The 32-year-old knew Inter Miami needed someone to step up without Messi, Luis Suarez and German Berterame. He took it upon himself to get his team a goal. And he did it while honoring his best friend, who he has always gone above and beyond for on and off the pitch.