Lionel Messi has shared his profound grief following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away last week at the age of 68 after a long illness. In a moving tribute posted on social media, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted that he is unsure how much longer he will continue his professional football career.
Jorge Messi, who served as his son’s agent since Lionel was 14, witnessed the forward’s rise to become one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Reflecting on their deep bond, the Inter Miami star wrote, “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. I don’t know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.”
The loss has left the Argentina captain struggling to process the reality of his father’s absence. “Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t sunk in, or rather, I don’t want it to,” Messi wrote. He noted that while he understands his father had been suffering, the departure feels premature, adding, “We still had so much left to enjoy together.”
Messi recounted the difficult circumstances surrounding the 2026 World Cup, where his father’s health declined just before the tournament began. “You kept asking me to play in one last World Cup, and just days before it started, that’s when you took a turn for the worse,” he shared. Despite the distance, Messi pushed himself to reach the final, hoping to bring the trophy home to his father. “I wanted to win it so I could bring the trophy to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t, my legs had nothing left. This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never managed to feel right.”
The 2026 tournament marked Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance. He captained Argentina to the final, where they were defeated 1-0 by Spain. Throughout the competition, he played eight matches, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. Following the tournament, he returned to his club side, Inter Miami, where he is under contract until 2028.
Jorge Messi’s influence on his son’s career was foundational. When Lionel signed with Barcelona at age 13 in 2001, the family relocated to Spain. While his mother and siblings eventually returned to Argentina, Jorge remained by his son’s side. During his time at Barcelona, Messi scored a record 672 goals in 778 appearances, securing 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies before moving to Paris St-Germain in 2021 and later to Inter Miami in 2023.
“You were by my side from the very beginning,” Messi wrote. “You were my dad, my friend and my mentor. You were always exactly the person you needed to be in every moment.” He added that he intends to raise his own children with the same values his father instilled in him. A private funeral for Jorge was held on Sunday at a cemetery in Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario, Argentina.
The football community has rallied around the Messi family during this period of mourning. Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his support, stating, “A huge hug to you and yours in these hard times, Leo. Much strength.” Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham also shared a message of solidarity, saying, “We are with you and your family, Leo, always.”
This loss follows a challenging summer for the Argentine forward, who recently spoke of the “immense pain” following the World Cup final defeat. Messi, who previously led Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup, now faces the difficult task of balancing his professional commitments with the personal grief of losing the man who guided him from his earliest days in the sport.
Why didn’t you hang in there just a little longer so we could finish this together?”
“It’s so hard for me to imagine that I’ll never see you again, that we’ll never talk again.
During the World Cup, Messi was brought to tears after scoring the opening goal in Argentina’s 3-0 win against Algeria because of a matter he said was “completely unrelated to football”.
“It was the first time you weren’t going to be at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you’d get better and that you’d be well enough to travel.
That’s when I realised how bad the situation was.
“Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time to watch a game.
“Of course, you never missed a single game,” said Messi.
“How you suffered watching me play and how much you enjoyed it, even though you never gave me much praise.
“Rest in peace, and watch over us from above just as you did here.
Much strength,” said the 41-year-old.
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