- Rodrigo De Paul scored for Inter Miami against Monterrey.
- He revealed a Lionel Messi No. 10 shirt during his celebration.
- The tribute came after the death of Messi's father, Jorge.
Rodrigo De Paul paid a special tribute to Lionel Messi during Inter Miami's 2-1 defeat to Monterrey in the Leagues Cup group stage on Saturday night.
After scoring Miami's opening goal, De Paul lifted his No. 7 shirt to reveal Messi's iconic Argentina No. 10 jersey underneath.
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WATCH: De Paul Reveals Messi's No. 10 After Scoring
De Paul put Inter Miami ahead in the 32nd minute with a superb strike from around 25 yards that went inside the left post.
Rodrigo De Paul strikes from distance for the opener and honors his friend Leo Messi and his family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/96GEG7XpMh
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 9, 2026
The Argentine midfielder then celebrated by removing his Inter Miami shirt and revealing a Messi No. 10 jersey underneath. The gesture was a tribute to his national team and club teammate, who missed the match following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.
De Paul was shown a yellow card for removing his shirt, but the emotional celebration quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the game.
Monterrey Complete Comeback Against Inter Miami
Inter Miami led 1-0 at halftime, but Monterrey turned the game around after the break.
Hugo Cuypers equalised just two minutes into the second half before Diego Rossi scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute to complete Monterrey's 2-1 comeback victory.
Messi Absent After Father's Death
Messi was not part of Inter Miami's squad after returning to Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier in the day.
The 39-year-old had recently returned to action after a two-week break and was instrumental in Miami's 4-2 win over Atletico San Luis in their opening Leagues Cup match, scoring twice and providing an assist.
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With Messi absent from the Inter Miami lineup, De Paul's decision to reveal the No. 10 jersey provided a heartwarming moment during an otherwise disappointing night for Miami.
The defeat leaves Inter Miami with three points from two group-stage matches. The 2023 Leagues Cup champions now have just one game remaining in the group phase and will need a positive result to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive.
Inter Miami will host Leon in their final group match on Wednesday, while Monterrey will travel to face Nashville.