The death of Jorge Messi halts Lionel Messi's run toward goal No. 1,000: When will he play again?

After saying his final goodbye to his father in Rosario, there is still no set date for Lionel Messi's return to the United States and, much less, is his return to football activity with Inter Miami planned.

'The death of Jorge Messi, which occurred on Friday the 7th in the city of Rosario, caught Lionel by surprise in Miami while he was preparing for the match in which "The Herons" were scheduled to face Monterrey on the second matchday of the Leagues Cup. This forced him to travel urgently on a private flight to accompany his family during such a difficult time.'

After bidding farewell to his father at a private cemetery in Rosario, it is still unknown how long the Argentine star will remain with his loved ones. However, the player has the unconditional support of Inter Miami, whose management granted him full permission to stay in his home country for as many days as he deems necessary before rejoining the club.

This misfortune in his private life makes the date on which Messi will resume his football activity unpredictable, having returned to it at a high level after scoring a brace against Atlético San Luis in the Leagues Cup. The close bond he had with his father makes it even more difficult to foresee the next step for the captain of the Argentina National Team.

This break in his sporting career also slows his dizzying race toward goal number 1,000, after his historic tally stood at 921 goals. If those numbers are already extraordinary for the 39-year-old footballer, his average of 0.86 goals per match since arriving in MLS makes the immense quality he possesses in his boots even more evident.

That excellent scoring average by Messi came after playing 107 matches with "The Herons" and netting a staggering 92 goals since his arrival in the United States in 2023. His numbers include official MLS, Concacaf, Leagues Cup, and domestic cup matches, which translates into a celebration every 96.2 minutes.

Without an approximate date for when Messi will return to the United States and, much less, to official competition, Inter Miami does have its next matches scheduled, which it will have to face with or without the participation of its star player.

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