Messi missing after father's death as Miami lose in Leagues Cup

Inter Miami's captain Lionel Messi was absent from the team's loss to Monterrey in the Leagues Cup on Saturday, following the death of his father Jorge Messi. The Argentine soccer star's father passed away at the age of 68 in Argentina. Upon learning of the tragedy, Inter Miami's players observed a minute of silence before the match. The club expressed their condolences to the Messi family, stating, "Our hearts are with our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family."

In the match against Monterrey, Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring for Miami in the 32nd minute. Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers equalized for the Mexican side in the 47th minute. However, Uruguayan striker Diego Rossi secured a 90th-minute winner for Inter Miami. The Major League Soccer champions had previously won their first group match against Atletico San Luis with a score of 4-2. They will face Leon in their next fixture on Wednesday.