Jorge Messi, the father and longtime agent of football superstar Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68 following a long illness. Jorge died in a hospital in his hometown of Rosario in the early hours of Saturday, according to reports.
His family had previously acknowledged concerns about his health but had not disclosed details of his condition. For decades, Jorge was one of the most influential figures behind Lionel Messi’s remarkable football career. He became his son’s agent when Lionel was just 14, helping guide his career from his early days in Argentina through his move to Europe and eventual emergence as one of football’s most decorated players.
Jorge remained alongside his son when the Messi family moved to Spain in 2001, after Barcelona signed Lionel at the age of 13. While Lionel’s mother and siblings later returned to Rosario, Jorge stayed in Barcelona with his son as he developed through the club’s youth system. His role extended beyond football management. Jorge was widely regarded as a key source of support for Lionel throughout the defining stages of his career, including his rise at Barcelona, his international success with Argentina and his eventual move to Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League titles and 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona. In 2022, Jorge was also in Qatar when his son finally lifted the FIFA World Cup with Argentina, completing one of the most significant achievements of his career. Jorge’s connection to football began in Rosario, where he supported Newell’s Old Boys, the club Lionel joined at the age of seven.
The Argentine club paid tribute to Jorge, describing him as a central figure who supported Lionel’s journey from the club’s youth ranks to the highest level of world football. Barcelona also expressed its condolences, thanking Jorge for his commitment to the club and for entrusting Barcelona with the early and most successful years of his son’s career.
The Argentine Football Association joined the tributes, expressing its condolences to Lionel and the entire Messi family and describing Lionel as the country’s captain and one of its most important sporting figures.
Jorge Messi’s death marks the loss of a figure who remained largely behind the scenes but played a crucial role in one of football’s most extraordinary journeys from a young boy in Rosario to a World Cup-winning captain and global sporting icon.
