Messi departs Rosario for Miami after father's funeral
Lionel Messi left his hometown of Rosario for Miami on a private jet after saying farewell to his father, Jorge, who died early Saturday morning. The departure came after several hours of grief in Rosario and was captured by cameras of TN. Messi travelled with his wife Antonela Rocuzzo and their children.
Flight details and timing
The aircraft took off at 22:53 from Aeropuerto Islas Malvinas. According to the flight plan, it is scheduled to land at Fort Lauderdale at 06:00 Florida time. The journey covered the distance between Argentina and the United States in the early hours of the morning.
Family ceremony in Rosario
After landing in Miami, Messi and Antonela Rocuzzo attended a short ceremony before returning to their residence in the gated community Kentucky, located in the town of Funes near Rosario. The family later visited the El Prado cemetery in Pérez, about 20 minutes from their home, where a small circle of close relatives gathered.
Inter Miami's upcoming fixtures
Inter Miami’s next match is on Wednesday at 20:30 against León de México in the final round of the Leagues Cup, where a large goal margin is needed to stay among the top four MLS teams qualifying for the quarter‑finals. Later (Luego) on Saturday the club will travel to Nashville for an MLS encounter, though no confirmation has been given on when Messi will return to the pitch.
Across Argentine football, clubs observed a minute of silence and players wore black bracelets in tribute to Jorge Messi. Inter Miami also held a 60‑second silence before its last game, and Rodrigo De Paul dedicated his goal to his close friend Lionel by displaying a jersey with the number 10.
“We know what happened to Leo and it is a great pain, we have suffered a lot,” said Ángel Guillermo Hoyos, Inter Miami’s coach, in a press conference. He added that the squad feels the loss deeply and that “it is obvious it has been very hard, very hard. Sometimes there are no words for it.”
Defender Facundo Mura sent a message to the captain, saying the team feels everything that has happened and will support Messi whenever he decides to return. He emphasized the collective solidarity of the club and its staff.
Jorge Messi had been battling a long‑standing illness that remained private, even during the World Cup when Lionel played while his father cancelled a trip at the last minute. The father had coached his son as a child at Abanderado Grandoli, accompanied him at Newell’s Malvinas field, and remained a constant reference throughout Lionel’s career, including a 2008 dedication after a goal against Uruguay.