7 min readAug 17, 2026 11:23 AM IST First published on: Aug 17, 2026 at 11:22 AM ISTIn his days of deep grief, Lionel Messi turned to football. Seven days after the death of his father, Jorge, three days after an emotional post on Instagram, even contemplating his retirement, Messi turned to the field that has defined him. The football pitch, where he entered clinging onto the index finger of Jorge, several years ago in his hometown Rosario.He held his tears back, but pain wore heavily on his eyes. But as Inter Miami found a slice of inner peace that had deserted him in the last week or so. The night was undoubtedly frustrating, he missed a spot kick, a goal was ruled out and two strikes off single piece of action stung the post. But the game offered him a brief and fleeting reprieve from the greatest tragedy of his life. It’s where his great rival and contemporary Cristiano Ronaldo too took refuge when his son died in childbirth three years ago. He sent a short, touching message to Messi: “A huge hug to you and your loved ones during these difficult times, Leo. Stay strong.”