The intersection of elite sport and profound personal grief arrived with crushing weight for Lionel Messi, who has admitted to serious doubts about his playing future following the death of his father and longtime agent, Jorge Messi. Jorge passed away on August 7 at the age of 68 in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, following a long and private battle with illness that heavily shadowed his son's campaign at the United States World Cup.
Returning to Argentina for a private funeral held at a cemetery in Perez on the outskirts of Rosario, Messi missed Inter Miami's match against Monterrey. Shortly after, the 39-year-old forward took to social media to share a raw, heartbroken letter detailing the immense personal toll of his father's final months and raising genuine questions about whether he will continue to lace up his boots.
I used to just play football, and now I'm really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer,
Lionel Messi wrote on Instagram. You were by my side from the very beginning. We were so close to the end. Why didn't you hang in there just a little longer so we could finish this together?
The timeline of Jorge's deteriorating health maps directly onto the emotional peaks and valleys of Messi's recent international commitments. During Argentina's opening group-stage match against Algeria in Kansas City—where Messi scored a hat-trick—the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner broke down in tears on the pitch. While he initially told reporters the matter was completely unrelated to sports, broadcast reports in Argentina soon confirmed that Jorge's health had taken a severe turn.
Subsequent reporting revealed that Jorge had suffered a medical episode at his home in January, leading to hospitalisation and cardiovascular and neurological evaluations, though the family shielded specific medical diagnoses from the public. Despite his worsening condition, Jorge remained a driving force behind his son's desire to compete in the tournament.
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,
Messi shared. 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. I kept telling you that we were going to make it to the final so you could come along.
Messi captained Argentina through eight matches in the tournament, contributing eight goals and four assists, ultimately reaching the final where Argentina fell 1-0 to Spain in New York. Throughout the knockout rounds, the forward waited anxiously for messages that increasingly failed to arrive, realising only then the true gravity of his father's condition back home.
Every time a game ended, I'd wait for and miss your message,
Messi added. 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. We made it to the final, and you couldn't be there. 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 bond between father and son extended far beyond the traditional familial role. Jorge was a steel manufacturer worker in Villa Constitucion when he met Celia Cuccittini, marrying in 1978 and raising four children: Rodrigo, Matias, Lionel, and Maria Sol. Jorge guided Lionel's early development at Newell's Old Boys before orchestrating the family's pivotal move to Spain in 2000, where a 13-year-old Lionel entered Barcelona's La Masia academy. Jorge served as his son's agent and de facto business manager for over two decades, navigating record-breaking stints at Barcelona, a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and a move to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami in July 2023, where Messi's contract runs through 2028.
The partnership also weathered intense high-profile scrutiny, notably standing side-by-side during their 2016 tax fraud trial regarding image rights income, which resulted in suspended sentences and fines.
Tributes from across the global game poured in following Jorge's passing. Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who lost his own father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, in 2005, offered immediate public support:
A huge hug to you and yours in these hard times, Leo. Much strength,
Ronaldo said.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham also issued a statement affirming that the club stands firmly with the family. As Messi processes his grief in Rosario, the immediate future of one of football's most enduring careers remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Sources
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- dailymail.com original
- ctvnews.ca original
- bbc.co.uk original
- linkedin.com original
