Lionel Messi has said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, aged 68, after a long illn...
Lionel Messi has said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, aged 68, after a long illness.
The Argentina captain shared an emotional tribute to his father on Instagram on Wednesday, saying he did not know how to move forward without him and was now questioning whether he would continue playing football for much longer.
“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.
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Jorge Messi died last week at a medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina, after a prolonged illness. He had spent his final months moving between the medical centre and his home, where he was surrounded by his wife, Celia, and their children.
Jorge was a central figure in his son’s life and football career. He closely supported Messi from his early years and served as his representative for several years, remaining one of the people closest to the Argentina star throughout his rise to the top of world football.
Messi’s tribute reflected the close relationship the two shared. He said his father had been beside him from the beginning and questioned why he could not have stayed a little longer so they could finish their journey together.
“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone,” Messi wrote. “It’s so hard for me to imagine that I’ll never see you again, that we’ll never talk again.”
He said he understood that his father had been suffering and that his death had brought an end to that suffering, but added that he felt Jorge had died too soon and that they still had much left to experience together.
Messi also connected his father’s illness to his decision to play at the 2026 World Cup. According to the footballer, Jorge had repeatedly asked him to play at what would be his final World Cup and had hoped to be present during the tournament.
Messi said his father’s health deteriorated only days before the World Cup began. It was the first tournament at which Jorge was unable to be present, although Messi said his mother continued to tell him that his father might recover sufficiently to travel.
The Argentina captain said he had told his father that the team would reach the final so that Jorge could eventually join them. Instead, after each match, Messi found himself waiting for a message from his father and gradually understood how serious his condition had become.
Messi said he nevertheless continued trying to help Argentina progress as far as possible because he wanted his father to have an opportunity to watch them play. Argentina eventually reached the final but lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
The 39-year-old said he wanted to win the World Cup for his father and take the trophy home to him. However, he said he had pushed his body to its limits during the tournament and was unable to produce enough physically to win the final.
“My legs couldn’t go on anymore. This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never felt well,” Messi said, according to Reuters.
Messi had also experienced an emotional moment during the World Cup after scoring in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria. He later explained that his tears were linked to circumstances unrelated to football, while his family subsequently confirmed that Jorge was dealing with a health-related situation.
Despite Argentina’s defeat in the final, Messi said the tournament remained important because he had fulfilled his father’s wish that he play in the competition. He said his father had told him he needed to be there and that the family had enjoyed the matches together despite Jorge being unable to attend in person.
Jorge’s death came shortly after Messi returned to Inter Miami following the World Cup. Messi had spent time with his father after the tournament before returning to his club in the United States.
A private funeral for Jorge took place on Sunday at El Prado private cemetery in Perez, near Rosario, according to Reuters. The family had kept the arrangements private following his death.
Tributes also came from football organisations and clubs connected to Messi’s career. The Argentine Football Association announced that a minute’s silence would be observed and black armbands worn during matches across Argentina’s football divisions in memory of Jorge.
Barcelona, where Messi spent most of his senior career, also paid tribute to Jorge and recognised his role in supporting his son’s football journey. Real Madrid and Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys were among the other clubs that expressed condolences.
Messi’s future in football had already been a subject of discussion before his latest comments. Argentina Football Association president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia said shortly before Messi’s latest tribute that the decision over when to retire belonged entirely to the player.
Tapia said Messi should be allowed to continue enjoying football before making the decision he believes is right for himself. Messi had not previously given a firm indication of when he intended to retire from international football or stop playing for Inter Miami.
Messi’s performance at the 2026 World Cup had also shown that he remained capable of playing at the highest level. He scored eight goals and provided four assists as Argentina reached the final, where they were beaten by Spain.
The defeat meant Argentina missed the chance to win another World Cup under Messi, who had captained the team to the title in 2022. His latest comments, however, suggest that his decision about the future of his football career is now being considered in the context of the loss of his father.
For Messi, Jorge was not simply a parent but a long-standing figure in his football life. His father had been involved in his career from an early age and remained an important source of support as Messi developed from a young player into one of the most recognised footballers in the world.
Messi also ended his tribute by looking beyond football and towards his role as a father. He said he would honour Jorge’s memory by carrying his father’s values into the way he raises 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 said.
For now, Messi has not announced that he is retiring from football. His comments indicate that he is grieving the loss of his father and questioning how much longer he wants to continue his career, leaving the timing of any future decision uncertain.
