Lionel Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, just delivered a bombshell that has the entire football world reeling: he’s not sure he’ll play for “much longer” after the devastating loss of his father, Jorge Messi.
Grief, Legacy, and a Father’s Guiding Hand
This isn’t just a player losing a parent; it’s a legend losing his bedrock. Jorge Messi, 68, passed away last week after a long illness. He was more than a dad, serving as Messi’s agent since Leo was 14 and watching him become one of the sport’s greatest. Messi’s emotional social media tribute spills raw grief. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” he wrote. “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.” Jorge passed away in a Rosario hospital, with a private funeral in Perez. Messi lamented, “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.” This level of anguish makes anyone question everything.
The 2026 World Cup’s Hidden Heartbreak
The pressure Messi carried into the 2026 World Cup was immense. He captained Argentina to the final, playing eight games, scoring eight goals, and adding four assists in his sixth World Cup appearance. But they lost 1-0 to Spain, a defeat now underscored by a deeper, personal tragedy. Messi revealed, “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.” He “kept telling you that we were going to make it to the final so you could come along.” Earlier, he teared up after an opening goal at a World Cup game against Algeria, citing a “completely unrelated to football” matter, identified by his family as Jorge’s “health-related situation.” Messi pushed past physical limits, wanting to win the trophy for his dad. “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. I never managed to feel right.” Jorge, who “never missed a single game” and was Messi’s “dad, my friend and my mentor,” was the driving force.
Messi has returned home to Rosario with his family, stepping away from Inter Miami for now. Even rival legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portugal international, sent condolences, saying, “A huge hug to you and yours in these hard times, Leo. Much strength.” The football world watches, holding its breath, as one of the game’s titans faces his toughest challenge off the pitch. What he decides next, nobody knows, but his future in the sport hangs precariously in the balance.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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