De Paul’s celebration showed his support for Messi at a time when football was clearly secondary to family
Published: August 9, 2026, 3:42 PM IST
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De Paul’s celebration showed his support for Messi at a time when football was clearly secondary to family
Rodrigo De Paul paid a touching tribute to his close friend and Argentina teammate Lionel Messi after scoring for Inter Miami in the Leagues CupDe Paul celebrated his goal by taking off his Inter Miami shirt to reveal a Messi No10 jersey underneath, dedicating the moment to the Argentine superstar during a difficult time for his family.
De Paul scored against Monterrey and immediately made his way towards the sideline before showing the Messi shirtThe gesture came shortly after the death of Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father, who passed away at the age of 68 in Rosario after a prolonged illness.
Messi was not part of Inter Miami’s match against Monterrey as he remained in Argentina with his family following his father’s deathJorge had been an important figure in Messi’s life and career, working as his representative and remaining one of his closest confidants from the early days of his career.
De Paul and Messi share a close relationship that goes beyond footballTheir bond grew during their years together with the Argentina national team with De Paul often described as one of Messi’s closest teammatesHe was also an important member of the Argentina side that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The tribute was therefore particularly meaningfulInstead of a normal goal celebration, De Paul chose to make the moment about Messi and his familyThe midfielder’s decision to wear the No10 shirt showed his support for Messi at a difficult moment.
Jorge Messi’s death came less than a month after Argentina lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup finalArgentina had reached the final in New Jersey on July 19, where they lost to SpainJorge Messi died on August 8, just 20 days after the final.
Jorge had played a major role in Messi’s journeyHe supported his son’s football career from a young age and later worked as his agentHis influence remained important even after Messi became one of the biggest names in football.
Rodrigo De Paul strikes from distance for the opener and honors his friend Leo Messi and his family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/96GEG7XpMh
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 9, 2026
For De Paul, the tribute was a simple way of standing beside his teammateThe two players had already shared many important moments with Argentina, and their friendship has continued after De Paul joined Inter Miami.
De Paul’s celebration showed his support for Messi at a time when football was clearly secondary to familyIt was a small gesture, but one that carried a lot of meaning.
