Floresta CE U20 · Cearense - 1 · Midfielder · #29 · Brazil · 22 yrs
Messi family report death at medical clinic in RosarioInter Miami are due to play Monterrey on Saturday nightLionel Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, has died aged 68 at a medical clinic in the Argentinian city of Rosario after a long illness, the family have announced. Jorge Messi spent his final months alternating between a medical centre in Rosario and his home, accompanied by his wife, Celia, and his children Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol.Lionel Messi spent time with his father after the World Cup before rejoining his club, Inter Miami, for whom he returned to action a week ago. Inter Miami are due to play Monterrey on Saturday at home in the 2026 Leagues Cup, but the MLS club have yet to announce whether he will feature. Continue reading...
With the MLS game against the Columbus Crew and with the Leagues Cup debut on the horizon, Lionel Messi and German Berterame returned to Inter Miami's training ground. Lionel Messi has officially returned to South Florida, rejoining Inter Miami ahead of a crucial late-summer stretch in the 2026 season. Coupled with the return of forward German Berterame, the Herons are bolstering their lineup as they prepare for a high-stakes MLS fixture against the Columbus Crew and the upcoming kickoff of the Leagues Cup. Following his campaign with Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, Messi traveled back to his hometown of Rosario to spend extended downtime with his family. During his stay in Argentina, local news outlet TN reported that the superstar visited his father, Jorge Messi, and made a public appearance at a match for Leones FC, a local club presided over by his brother, Matias. After spending a week recharging back home, Messi was spotted at the airport with his family Tuesday night, greeting fans before boarding his flight, as captured in video footage published by ESPN. The Argentine icon landed back on American soil Wednesday and immediately reported to Inter Miami‘s training facility, as confirmed by photos shared across the club’s social media accounts. Having been granted extended rest by MLS following his World Cup run, Messi was excused from participating in Wednesday night’s MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star Game in Charlotte. As a result, rookie midfielder Yannick Bright stood as Inter Miami’s sole representative at the midsummer exhibition showcase. The arrivals hit different today 👋💗 pic.twitter.com/RofdUJE2kf— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 29, 2026 Roster reinforcements arrive in South Florida Beyond Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami received a major boost with the return of both German Berterame and goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The news comes as a massive relief for the club; Berterame received medical clearance after a frightening head collision in his previous match, while St. Clair rejoined the squad following his World Cup stint with the Canadian national team. The return of the trio comes at a critical juncture for an Inter Miami squad currently battling a depth crisis due to an injury bug that has sidelined David Ayala, Tadeo Allende, Gonzalo Lujan, and Maxi Falcon. Meanwhile, status updates remain pending for Messi’s Argentine teammate Rodrigo De Paul, who has yet to rejoin the club following the World Cup final. Will Lionel Messi play against the Columbus Crew? Despite reporting back to the facility Wednesday, it remains unlikely that Messi will take the pitch Saturday, August 1, against the Columbus Crew. With Messi having not played a competitive match since July 19 and lacking recent training reps, the Herons’ medical staff is unlikely to rush the 39-year-old superstar back into action. However, the outlook for Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup opener appears far more promising. The Herons are set to host Mexican side Atletico San Luis on Wednesday, August 5, at Nu Stadium, where a full week of training sessions should position Messi to return to the starting XI and anchor Inter Miami’s attack.
Rodrigo De Paul spoke about how he and Lionel Messi are preparing to compete with Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For years, there has been uncertainty surrounding whether Lionel Messi would be part of Argentina’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He has never publicly confirmed it and has consistently cast doubt on the possibility because of his age, but over the last few days the picture has become much clearer. First, Lionel Scaloni included him in the preliminary 55-man roster, and now Rodrigo De Paul has revealed that both players have been preparing for the tournament for quite some time. “I talk a lot with Leo about the World Cup and the excitement we have,” De Paul said during a recent interview on Lo Del Pollo. “For the last two or three months, we’ve been preparing for it with a training plan beyond what we do at the club level, thinking about the World Cup.” The Inter Miami midfielder then provided more details about those preparation sessions: “The two of us push ourselves physically to arrive in the best possible shape. We’re doing double sessions that we planned ourselves, and we have our own fitness coach. We’ve been working hard and things are going well.” This is closely connected to the doubts Messi had publicly expressed whenever he was asked about the 2026 World Cup. Considering that he will turn 39 during the tournament, his main concern has always been whether he will feel physically capable of competing in the most demanding soccer event in the world. “I’m very excited. I think Argentina will once again be one of the main contenders,” De Paul assured. “I see conviction and hunger in my teammates to keep achieving things. This team is fully committed to giving everything it has.” The mental aspect of preparing for the World Cup During the same conversation, Rodrigo De Paul spoke about how he and Messi are preparing not only physically, but also mentally for this summer’s tournament in North America. “You live constantly thinking about the World Cup. As it gets closer, those thoughts come into your head much more often. You live with fear, uncertainty, excitement and a lot of emotions that come with the World Cup,” the midfielder explained. “I motivate him a lot, I build him up all the time,” De Paul admitted while describing his relationship with Messi. “He motivates me too, but he’s more steady than I am. I’m more up and down, so I have a lot of low moments and he helps me. When I go low, I really go low. He stays balanced and consistent. We complement each other well.” True to his personality, Rodrigo also joked about what those training sessions with Messi are like. “I record everything. ‘No, stop it, why are you filming me?’ he tells me. ‘Well, Shorty, maybe things work out for us, we make a documentary or something and make some money,’” De Paul revealed. Argentina’s final roster is getting closer Argentina were one of the few national teams that publicly released the 55-man preliminary roster submitted to FIFA earlier this week. Lionel Scaloni now has two more weeks to make the final cuts and confirm the official 26-man squad. Reports indicate that the head coach will take as much time as possible before making the announcement, considering the deadline is June 1 and club competitions will not conclude until May 30 with the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
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