Lionel Messi scored for Inter Miami on Wednesday night into Thursday. The 39-year-old playmaker dedicated the goal to his father Jorge, who recently died at the age of 68 after an illness.
The Argentine stylishly made it 1-2 in the first half of Inter Miami's away match against Philadelphia Union, which finished 2-2 in the MLS Eastern Conference. After scoring, Messi pointed two fingers to the sky in tribute to his late father.
Following the death of Jorge Messi, the forward expressed doubts about his future as a player. ''I do not know what I have to do without you. I have only ever played football and now there are doubts as to whether I will keep doing that for much longer.''
On his Instagram channel, the grieving Messi wrote: ''From the beginning you were my great support and there was only such a short time left until the end. Why could you not hold on just a little longer, so that we could finish it together?''
Messi also got involved in a scuffle. During a discussion, he struck Quinn Sullivan, before the pair stood head to head for a moment.
Inter Miami failed to hold on to their 1-2 lead and had to settle for a 2-2 draw in Philadelphia. Deep into stoppage time, home wonderkid Cavan Sullivan, who has already been signed by Manchester City, and Yannick Bright of the visitors were both sent off after a flare-up.
Messi and company sit second in the MLS Eastern Conference, seven points behind leaders Nashville. Nashville beat Inter Miami 4-1 last week.