Messi’s father, Jorge, died last week at age of 68
Argentinian suggests he may not play on much longer
Lionel Messi said on Wednesday that he is having doubts about continuing his career following the death of his father last week. Messi’s father, Jorge, died last week aged 68 at a medical clinic in the Argentinian city of Rosario after a long illness.
In a tribute on Instagram, Messi wrote: “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.
“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 closely accompanied his son throughout his career, beginning with his early years at Barcelona. He acted as a crucial pillar of support and, for several years, served as his representative.
The 39-year-old Argentina captain revealed one of the reasons he played in the World Cup, where they finished runners-up to Spain after an extra-time defeat in the final, was because it was his father’s wish
“You always asked me to play in the last World Cup and a few days before it started was when you got worse,” Messi said. “It was the first time you weren’t going to be at a tournament … Every time a match ended, I would wait and hope for your message. That’s when I realised how real the situation was.”
During the World Cup, Messi experienced mixed emotions after scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against Algeria, breaking down in tears while celebrating his first goal. He later explained that his tears were due to “something unrelated to football” after going through “a few difficult, complicated days”.
Messi said he wanted to win the final for his father but he had no energy left to bring home a second World Cup title. “My legs couldn’t go on any more. This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never felt well … We weren’t champions, but you don’t know how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play it.”
Despite his grief, the Inter Miami forward pledged to honour his father’s memory through parenting 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.”
… we have a small favour to ask. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing more than 200 years ago, turning to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. More than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, now power us financially – keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent. Will you make a difference and support us too?
Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful.
And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it.
Whether you give a little or a lot, the support of readers like you from Cambodia will power our reporting for the years to come.
We value whatever you can spare. Your support enables greater investment in our most crucial, fearless journalism. Thank you.