Lionel Messi has paid an emotional tribute to his late father, Jorge Messi, describing his death as a devastating loss and reflecting on the role he played throughout the footballer’s life and career.
In a deeply personal message, Messi said he was struggling to imagine life without his father, who died at the age of 68 following a long illness. Jorge was not only Messi’s father but also his representative from the early stages of his professional career.
Messi recalled how his father supported him from childhood, taking him to training sessions after work and rarely missing his matches. He described Jorge as his “dad, friend and representative”, saying his guidance remained influential throughout his journey from Rosario to the highest levels of world football.
The Argentina captain also reflected on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a tournament his father had strongly encouraged him to play. Jorge’s health deteriorated shortly before the competition, preventing him from travelling to watch his son as he had hoped.
Messi said he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final, and although Jorge could not be there in person, his presence remained on the player’s mind throughout the tournament.
Argentina eventually won the World Cup, with Messi playing a central role in the historic triumph. But in his tribute, he recalled the disappointment that his father was unable to fully experience the achievement with him.
The football star also spoke openly about his future, admitting that his father’s death had left him questioning how long he would continue playing football.
Messi said he would miss his father deeply but vowed that Jorge’s influence would continue through the way he raises his own children.
Jorge Messi played a significant behind-the-scenes role in his son’s career, particularly during the family’s move from Argentina to Spain when Lionel was a teenager after Barcelona signed him.
Tributes have also come from clubs and football institutions connected to the Messi family. Newell’s Old Boys, the Rosario club where Messi began playing as a child, remembered Jorge as a key figure who supported his son’s journey from the club’s youth system to global stardom.
Barcelona also expressed its condolences, acknowledging Jorge’s role in entrusting the club with the early stages of his son’s remarkable career.
For Messi, however, the loss is deeply personal. Beyond the trophies, records and global recognition, Jorge was the father who accompanied him from his earliest days in football—and whose influence Messi says will remain part of his life and his family’s future.
“Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad,” Messi wrote in his farewell.
