Lionel Messi has shared an emotional farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, who died at the age of 68 after a long illness.
Jorge died in Rosario, Argentina. Messi returned home to be with his family and has now opened up about the pain of losing the man who guided him throughout his life and career.
“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. I can’t take it in, or rather, I don’t want to,” Messi wrote on Facebook.
“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.”
Messi revealed that his father’s health became much worse just days before the World Cup. Jorge had repeatedly asked him to play in one final World Cup and hoped to travel to watch him.
Messi told his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could make the trip.
“Every time a match ended, I waited for and missed your message. That was when I realised the situation was really bad,” Messi wrote.
Argentina did reach the final, but Jorge was unable to attend.
“We reached the final and you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it so I could take it to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t. My legs had nothing left,” Messi said.
Messi also raised doubts about how much longer he will continue playing football following his father’s death.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. I don’t know how to keep going,” he wrote.
“I only played football, and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I will keep doing it for much longer.”
Jorge was a central figure in Messi’s journey from childhood. He took his son to training after work, rarely missed his matches and later became his representative.
“You were a father, a friend and a representative,” Messi wrote. “You were always the person you needed to be at every moment.”
Messi said his father’s influence would live on through the way he raises his own children.
He ended the message with a final goodbye: “Rest in peace and look after us from above like you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad.”
Messi’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo also expressed his grief. He commented on social media, “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”
Inter Miami had earlier paid tribute to Jorge before their match against Monterrey. Players observed a minute of silence and wore black armbands, while supporters showed messages of support for Messi.
