I May Quit Football After My Father’s Death – Messi

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football following the death of his father, Jorge, who passed away last week at the age of 68 after a long illness.

Jorge Messi had served as his son’s agent since he was 14 and had witnessed his rise to become one of football’s greatest ever players.

In an emotional social media tribute, Messi 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.”

He reflected on his father’s presence throughout his career, adding: “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?”

Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and led the team to the 2026 World Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Spain, before returning to club side Inter Miami.

He travelled home to Argentina with his family after his father died in a hospital in Rosario, his hometown, with a private funeral held on Sunday at a cemetery in the nearby town of Perez.

Continuing his tribute, Messi said: “Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t sunk in, or rather, I don’t want it to. It’s so hard for me to imagine that I’ll never see you again, that we’ll never talk again.

“I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.”

During the World Cup, Messi had been visibly emotional after scoring in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, citing a personal matter “completely unrelated to football.”

His family later confirmed his father had been dealing with a “health-related situation” at the time.

He recalled his father’s determination to see him play in one more World Cup. “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 said.

“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.”

He added: “Every time a game ended, I’d wait for and miss your message. 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.”

Messi made his sixth World Cup appearance as Argentina’s captain at the 2026 tournament, playing eight matches, scoring eight goals and registering four assists.

His family relocated to Spain in 2001 after he signed for Barcelona at age 13.

While his mother and siblings later returned to Rosario, his father remained by his side throughout his development at the Catalan club, where Messi went on to score a record 672 goals in 778 appearances and win the Champions League four times and La Liga ten times.

He later played for Paris St-Germain before joining Inter Miami in 2023, where his contract runs until 2028.

Messi paid further tribute to his father’s role in his life. “Of course, you never missed a single game,” he said.

“How you suffered watching me play and how much you enjoyed it, even though you never gave me much praise.

“You were my dad, my friend and my mentor. You were always exactly the person you needed to be in every moment, and you were never wrong about anything.”

He added: “Despite a few disagreements or arguments, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out just as you said they would.

“I’m going to miss you so much, but you’ll always be with me, especially in raising my children, because I teach and raise them just as you both did with me.

“Rest in peace, and watch over us from above just as you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad.”

Following the tribute, Portugal international, Cristiano Ronaldo, sent a message of support to Messi. “A huge hug to you and yours in these hard times, Leo. Much strength,” the 41-year-old said.

Inter Miami co-owner and former England international, David Beckham, also offered condolences, saying: “We are with you and your family, Leo, always.”