Messi returns to miami after father's funeral, return date undecided

According to Argentine media outlet Dobleamarilla, Messi has returned to Miami with his family after attending the funeral, with no set date for his return to play.

Messi, his family, and close friends have experienced a sorrowful time after the passing of his father, Jorge Messi. After returning to Argentina for the wake, the Inter Miami and Argentina national team's number 10 player has now returned to the United States.

According to Dobleamarilla, Messi arrived at Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida at approximately 6 PM Beijing time (CEST). A private jet had been waiting since last Monday to take him, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children to the United States to resume their daily routines.

Messi missed last Saturday's match, where Inter Miami lost 1-2 at home to Monterrey. In that game, his club and national teammate De Paul scored and honored him with a jersey bearing Messi's number.

Inter Miami will face León in the Leagues Cup on Thursday at 7:30 AM Beijing time (CEST), but the captain and team's core player has not yet determined when he will resume playing and rejoin team training. He may go to the stadium to accompany his teammates, but this has not yet been confirmed. The club has also given him freedom to rest for a few days if needed.

Current Inter Miami head coach Guillermo Hoyos expressed his condolences to Messi and his family, and instead of setting a deadline for his return, chose to offer emotional support. Hoyos stated: "We know what happened to Messi, it's a huge pain, and we are very sad about it."

Hoyos concluded: "Obviously, it's tough, very tough. Many times, there are no appropriate words for such things. When someone goes through such pain, it's hard to recover. But we all encounter such things. We can never truly adapt because it is indeed too painful."

Defender Facundo Mura, who was sitting next to Hoyos at the press conference, also offered his condolences to the captain. Mura said: "We feel everything that has happened. In this difficult time, we are with Messi from afar. We know what he is going through, and we let him know that as ordinary people, we support and accompany him, not to mention as colleagues, as a team, as a club. When he feels he can come back and decides to come back, we will be here to continue to accompany him through everything that comes next."

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