Inter Miami experienced a night full of emotion in the Leagues Cup. The absence of Lionel Messi, who traveled to Rosario with Antonela Roccuzzo after the death of his father Jorge Messi at the age of 68, was present before the start of the match against Rayados de Monterrey and marked the atmosphere at the Nu Stadium.

The American club held a minute of silence, its players played with black armbands and the stands joined in the tributes.

In the 10th minute, the fans displayed a flag with the message "Strength, Leo", while the stadium accompanied the Argentine captain's moment of mourning. Hours before, the institution had published a message of support on social networks: "Our heart is accompanying our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family", in addition to incorporating a black ribbon to its shield on its official profiles.

De Paul's goal and tribute

The most significant scene came 31 minutes into the first half. Rodrigo De Paul, who wore the captain's ribbon in Messi's absence, opened the scoring with a powerful low shot from outside the area that beat goalkeeper Luis Cárdenas.

As soon as he saw the ball go in, the midfielder took off his Inter Miami shirt and showed a Lionel Messi jersey that he was wearing underneath.

The gesture provoked an immediate reaction from the public. De Paul lifted the shirt, pointed to the number and displayed it towards the stands to share the tribute with the fans present.

The Argentine national team midfielder, one of Messi's closest friends within the Albiceleste team, had already decided to use that shirt as a show of support from a distance.

The image quickly spread around the stadium and became one of the most emotional moments of the day.

An inevitable memory of 2020

The celebration inevitably recalled another tribute starring Messi in 2020. After the death of Diego Maradona, the then Barcelona player scored against Osasuna and celebrated by showing a Newell's Old Boys shirt with the Argentine idol's number 10.

This time it was De Paul who replicated a similar gesture to accompany his teammate in a particularly difficult personal moment.

The game was in the background for much of the night. Each tribute on and off the field reinforced the message of support for Messi and his family, while Inter Miami tried to support its captain even in his absence.

De Paul's dedication ended up becoming the most visible symbol of that collective support on a day marked by mourning.

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