Lionel Messi Breaks Silence After His Dad’s Death at 68

The Argentinian soccer star, 39, paid tribute to his father in an emotional Instagram post on Wednesday, Aug. 12, five days after his dad’s death.

“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t really sunk in — or rather, I don’t want it to. It’s so hard to imagine that I won’t see you anymore, that we won’t talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon; there was still so much left for us to enjoy together,” the soccer star began in his lengthy message, translated from Spanish.

“You kept asking me to play in the last World Cup, yet just days before it started, your condition took a turn for the worse. It was the first time you wouldn’t be there for a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you’d improve and be well enough to travel. I told you we’d make it to the final so you could come,” Lionel penned.

“After every match, I’d wait for your message and miss hearing from you. That’s when I realized just how serious the situation really was. Even so, I kept thinking about going as far as possible—to buy time so you might see a game. We reached the final, but you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it so I could bring it to you and show you a new trophy. I couldn’t do it; my legs just gave out. I tried to push past my physical limits this time, but I couldn’t. I never felt right.”

Lionel continued, “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you; I don’t know how to go on. I played soccer, but now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and we were so close to the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish this journey together?”

Concluding his message, Lionel said he’ll miss his father “terribly,” and added, “But you’ll always be with me — especially in how I raise my own children, because I teach and guide them just as you did with me.”

The Argentinian soccer star’s father died in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina on Friday around 10 p.m. local time, according to Argentine and Spanish outlets Infobae, El Español and La Nacion.

Lionel’s first club, Newell’s Old Boys, paid tribute to Jorge, who was also his son’s longtime business agent, on social media.   

“With deep sorrow and grief, Newell’s Old Boys bids farewell to Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 in the city of Rosario,” the club wrote on X, translated from Spanish. “Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor, and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini.”

“His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel, from his beginnings at Malvinas to the pinnacle of world football glory,” they continued, adding, “Thank you for teaching him to love these colors.”

Jorge’s death comes nearly two months after his family shared that he was diagnosed with an illness, although they did not share additional details at the time. 

“He is currently under medical observation, recovering and progressing favorably within his current condition,” the family said in a statement in June, per ESPN. 

The statement followed speculation surrounding Jorge’s health, with the Messi family expressing its “deep displeasure” at the “lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter.”

Lionel was frequently emotional during the 2026 World Cup — when he scored the first goal during Argentina’s opening match, he grew teary-eyed, and later explained that it was due to personal reasons.

“Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated ​to football. I went through some ​difficult days,” he said at the time. “But I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by ​my side, ​giving ⁠me a lot of strength to help me get through ​it.”