Lionel Messi scores first goal for Inter Miami since father’s death

What the report says

Lionel Messi scored for Inter Miami in a Major League Soccer match against the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, marking his first goal since the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier this month. Al Jazeera reported that the Argentina captain found the net in the 26th minute with a left-footed shot after helping build Miami’s earlier goal, and then pointed to the sky in tribute.

The game finished 2-2 in Philadelphia, leaving Miami without a win after taking a lead. The Union answered with goals from Indiana Vassilev in the 11th minute and Neil Pierre in the 58th, while Miami’s other goal came from Daniel Pinter. Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said his team wanted victory but now had little time to recover before its next fixture against Toronto FC.

The report noted that Jorge Messi, who was also Lionel Messi’s agent, died on August 8 at age 68. Messi had returned to club action after traveling to Argentina following the loss, and had gone scoreless in Miami’s previous two matches, including a penalty miss in an MLS defeat to Nashville. The draw left Inter Miami on a run of four matches without a win and still chasing the Eastern Conference leaders, while Messi moved to second in the league scoring race with 13 goals, according to Al Jazeera.