Lionel Messi cast doubt on his football future on Wednesday, August 12, revealing that he is uncertain how much longer he will continue playing following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, according to reports from BBC Sport and Al Jazeera. Jorge Messi passed away last week at the age of 68 in a medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina, following a long illness, as reported by Channel NewsAsia.
An Emotional Tribute and Career Doubts
In an emotional Instagram post cited by The Guardian, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner shared his grief and questioned his path forward in the sport. “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 wrote, as translated by Channel NewsAsia. He added, “You were by my side from the beginning; there was so little left until the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?” Jorge Messi acted as a crucial pillar of support throughout his son’s career, serving as his agent and representative from the player’s early years in Barcelona, according to BBC Sport.
The 2026 World Cup and Physical Toll
Messi revealed that one of the primary reasons he competed in the recent World Cup—where Argentina finished as runners-up to Spain following an extra-time loss—was because it was his father’s explicit wish, according to Channel NewsAsia. “You always asked me to play in the last World Cup and a few days before it started was when you got worse,” Messi stated on social media. During the tournament, the Argentina captain experienced intense emotional strain, breaking down in tears after scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against Algeria, a reaction he later attributed to personal difficulties away from the pitch, as noted by Channel NewsAsia. Messi admitted that he pushed himself beyond his physical limits during the competition, stating that his legs had nothing left and he never felt fully well, yet he ultimately recognized the importance of honoring his father’s desire for him to play.
Honoring a Legacy at Inter Miami
Following a private funeral held on Sunday at a cemetery in Perez on the outskirts of Rosario, as detailed by BBC Sport, the Inter Miami forward returned to his family. Despite the profound personal loss, Messi pledged to honor his father’s memory by instilling the same values in 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,” Messi stated, according to Channel NewsAsia.
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