Messi questions football future after death of father Jorge, 68

Father's death and tribute

Lionel Messi published an emotional tribute on Instagram on Wednesday, August 12, expressing profound grief over the death of his father Jorge Messi, who passed away in the early hours of Saturday, August 8, at a medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina, at the age of 68 after a long illness. The family had disclosed Jorge's illness in June during the World Cup. Messi, 39, arrived in Rosario on Saturday night with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children, and a private funeral was held on Sunday morning at El Prado cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario. Jorge had been hospitalised at the clinic for the two weeks preceding his death.

Doubts about continuing

In his letter, Messi questioned whether he would continue playing football. He described his father as "papá, amigo y representante" (father, friend, and representative), noting that Jorge had been at his side from the beginning of his career and had served as his agent since Messi was 14. Jorge accompanied his son through his early years at Barcelona after the family arrived in the city in 2000, and oversaw the family's financial structure.

I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to move forward. I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for much longer.

Messi had signed a contract extension with Inter Miami until 2028 last autumn, but the tribute has cast uncertainty over whether he will see out that deal. He missed Inter Miami's defeat to Monterrey, during which his teammates wore black armbands and Rodrigo De Paul paid tribute with his goal celebration.

World Cup played under strain

Messi revealed that his father's health had worsened days before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He said Jorge had urged him to play in what would be his last World Cup, and Messi had hoped that by reaching the final, his father would have time to recover and travel to watch him play in person, as he had at five previous World Cups. In the opening match against Algeria, Messi scored a hat-trick and broke down in tears while celebrating his first goal, later explaining the tears were due to "something unrelated to football."

Argentina reached the final but lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time on July 19. Messi returned to Rosario on Tuesday, July 21, two days after the final, where his father had been hospitalised.

My legs couldn't go on anymore. This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never felt well... We weren't champions, but you don't know how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play it.

Grief and legacy

Messi wrote that he still could not believe his father was gone and struggled to imagine never seeing or speaking to him again. He acknowledged that Jorge had been suffering and that his death was "for the best," but said his father had left "too soon." Despite his grief, Messi pledged to honour his father's memory through raising his own children.

I'm going to miss you so much, but you will always be present, especially in the upbringing of my children, because I will teach them and raise them the way you raised me.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni had already cast doubt on Messi's international future in a tearful press conference after the World Cup final defeat. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, now faces questions about whether he will continue at club level as well.