‘We missed you, Messi’: MLS’ welcome video goes viral; Inter Miami star shocks all with return after father's death

Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami on 12 August, days after his father's death. Jorge Messi passed away on 8 August in Rosario. Major League Soccer welcomed him back; the social media post has gone viral.

MLS shared a video of Messi’s return to the field. It captioned the video: “We missed you, Messi. Welcome back.”

The viral video has garnered 2.6 million views on X (formerly Twitter) and more than 78,000 likes.

“This man should be in bereavement right now. Why is he playing?” asked one user.

“Honestly, respect people who go straight back to work after dealing with the worst thing in their life. Distract yourself as much as you can. Trust me, you’ll have enough time to mourn," wrote another user.

Another user wrote, “Welcome back, Leo! The pitch just isn’t the same without you. Let’s go, Inter Miami!”

“Loved the emotions of fans, literally, I am crying watching this video. Love and support to you, my idol,” came from another.

Teammates react to Messi's return

Named to the substitutes' bench, Messi entered after halftime. Miami were leading 1-0 before Club Leon fought back strongly.

Daniel Arcila scored twice for Leon, securing a dramatic comeback win. Miami ultimately lost 2-3, ending their Leagues Cup campaign.

This defeat mathematically eliminated Miami from the knockout rounds. Last year, they reached the final before losing to the Seattle Sounders.

Teammate Casemiro praised Messi's remarkable commitment following his return. He called Messi's dedication unprecedented despite his personal grief.

Casemiro said Messi's example extended beyond just football itself. He thanked Messi for showing up despite his difficult circumstances.

"He is surely going through a very difficult time. But, the commitment he has shown, not just to the players but to the club, has been incredible. I've never seen anything like it in my life." ESPN quoted Casemiro as saying.

Midfielder Yannick Bright echoed similar sentiments about Messi's surprise appearance. He admitted that the squad hadn't expected Messi's early return.

According to Bright, the moment inspired players to give their best. The team aims to support Messi through this challenging period.

"It's incredible. I wasn't expecting it, and it shows how much he cares. When I saw that he was here, all I thought about was giving 150% for him. It's a tough situation, so we're trying to stay close to him and offer as much support as we can," Bright said.