Lionel Messi has spoken up for the first time since his father, Jorge Messi, passed away on Saturday, August 8, 2026, in a medical clinic in Rosario at the age of 68.
The football star has penned an emotional note on Wednesday after the devastating loss. Jorge was also Messi's agent and took care of his professional affairs since he was a teenager.
On Wednesday, Lionel Messi broke his silence and shared his profound grief of losing his father, Jorge Messi, with the world. The footballer shared a picture with his father along with a two-page note on Instagram. The caption reflected the deep love for his father which simply read, "e amo, pa.❤️"
Messi shared the note in Spanish, expressing how difficult it has been for him to come to terms with the reality that he is no more. "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’m never going to see you again, that we’re never going to talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left us far too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together", the 39-year-old wrote.
The Inter Miami star lost his father days after losing the FIFA World Cup 2026 final to Spain, a tournament that saw the player produce one of the best performances of his career, with Argentina. Jorge Messi, who had been unwell throughout the tournament, could not be by his son's side during his sixth World Cup.
"You kept asking me to play in the last World Cup, and days before it started, you got really sick. It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you'd get better and be well enough to travel. I told you we'd make it to the final so you could travel", Messi wrote.
The football legend shared that he would wait for his father's message after every match and wanted to win another World Cup just for his father. "I couldn't; my legs just gave out. This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never felt right", he continued.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you, I don't know how to go on. I just played football and now I have quite a few doubts that I'll continue doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the beginning, there was so little left until the end. Why didn't you hold on a little longer and we could have finished together?", his emotional message continued.
Messi recalled his childhood when his father would take him to training and later, when he would be present at every match. "You were a dad, a friend, and an agent", he wrote.
"I'm going to miss you a lot, but you'll always be present, and especially in the upbringing of my children, because I teach and raise them the way you did with me. Rest in peace and watch over us from above like you did here. Thanks for everything. I love you, Dad", his message concluded.
Fans, friends and colleagues extended their support in the comment section as the footballer continues to grieve. Fellow football star Cristiano Ronaldo commented, "A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength."
Lionel Messi is currently in Argentina with his family as they deal with the loss. There is no confirmation as to when he will return to professional football.
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