Lionel Messi has admitted he is “not sure” how much longer he will continue his professional football career following the death of his father, Jorge, who passed away last week at the age of 68 after battling a long illness. Jorge Messi was a highly influential figure in his son's life, serving as his agent since the Argentinian was 14 and overseeing his rise to become arguably the greatest footballer of all time.
In an emotional tribute posted to Instagram, the 39-year-old superstar expressed his grief and uncertainty regarding his future on the pitch. “I don't know what I'm going to do without you,” Messi 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. 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?”
Messi returned home to his family in Rosario, Argentina, following his father's death in a local hospital. A private funeral was held on Sunday at a cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario. During his absence, Messi missed Inter Miami’s match against Monterrey, where his teammates wore black armbands and Rodrigo De Paul dedicated a goal celebration to the family. Cristiano Ronaldo has also sent a heartfelt public message to Messi during this time.
The player's future has been under scrutiny following a challenging summer. After guiding Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, Messi was unable to repeat the feat this year, as La Albiceleste suffered an extra-time defeat to Spain in the final. Manager Lionel Scaloni cast doubt on Messi’s international future during a tearful post-final press conference. While Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami last autumn that runs until 2028, it remains to be seen whether the Argentine superstar, as he mourns the loss of his father, will choose to prolong his playing career any further.
In his tribute, Messi added, “Dad, I still can't believe you're gone. It hasn't sunk in, or rather, I don't want it to. 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. We still had so much left to enjoy together.”
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