Rodrigo De Paul dedicated his goal against Mexico's Monterrey to his close friend Lionel Messi, who missed the match following the death of his father, Jorge.
The Inter Miami midfielder had planned his tribute in advance. He wore Messi's number 10 shirt beneath his own, then revealed it after finding the net.
On 31 minutes, De Paul unleashed a powerful low strike from outside the box that flew into Monterrey's net to put Inter Miami one goal up.
The moment the ball crossed the line, he ripped off his number 7 shirt to show Messi's number underneath.
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The celebration echoed Messi's own gesture in 2020. Following the death of the legendary Diego Maradona, the then Barcelona forward wore a Newell's Old Boys shirt bearing Maradona's number 10 during a match against Osasuna, then revealed it after scoring.
De Paul's goal wasn't enough. Inter Miami let their lead slip and fell 2-1 to Monterrey, a result that leaves them in a tricky spot in the race for the Leagues Cup quarter-finals.
To go through, Inter Miami need to finish the group stage among the top four Major League Soccer clubs on points. They currently sit on 3 points, with other matches in this round still to be played.
Suarez's message
Luis Suarez, one of Messi's closest friends and his former Barcelona teammate, sent a moving message to the Argentine star.
The veteran Uruguayan missed the Monterrey clash through suspension. He wrote on Instagram: "My friend, I embrace you and your whole family tightly. Your father from above will continue to look at you with pride, as he always did. All my love in these moments to the Messi family. Rest in peace, Jorge."
Inter Miami also honoured Jorge Messi before kick-off. With Messi absent and on his way to Rosario to be by his family's side, De Paul wore the captain's armband.
The name "Jorge Messi" appeared on the screen at Chase Stadium in Inter Miami's distinctive pink, alongside his dates of birth and death: "1958-2026".
A minute's silence followed, with everyone standing in tribute to Messi's father before the national anthems of Mexico and the United States were played.