Messi struggles with life after losing his father

Lionel Messi has opened up after his father, Jorge Messi, passed away. He told fans he is not sure if he can keep playing football without him.

The Argentina captain shared a heartfelt message on Instagram on Wednesday. He posted a picture of him and his father together.

“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t sunk in, or rather, I don’t want it to sink in. It’s so hard to imagine that I won’t see you anymore, that we won’t talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that it’s for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together,” Messi wrote.

Messi remembered how much his father wanted him to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He mentioned that Jorge’s health got worse just before the tournament.

“You wanted me to play in the last World Cup so much, and a few days before it started was when you took a turn for the worse. It was the first time you weren’t going to be at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you’d get better and that you’d be fine enough to travel. I kept telling you we were going to make it to the final so you could make the trip,” he wrote.

He said every time Argentina played, he waited for a message from his dad. This made him realize how serious Jorge’s condition was.

“Every time a match ended, I waited for and missed your message. That was when I realized how truly bad the situation was. Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about going as far as possible, just to give you time so you could watch a match,” he said.

Messi reflected on Argentina reaching the final and how he wanted to win the trophy for his father.

“We made it to the final and you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it so I could bring it to you and show you a new trophy. I couldn’t do it, my legs just couldn’t give any more. This time I tried to push past my body, but I couldn’t. I was never able to feel right physically,” Messi wrote.

He shared that his father believed Argentina lost the final on penalties.

“When I arrived home, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn’t talk about anything that had happened. You didn’t get to enjoy any of it. We didn’t end up as champions, but you have no idea how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play it,” he said.

Messi admitted that losing his father made him unsure about his future in football.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, I don’t know how to move forward. Football was all I did, and now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep playing for much longer.

“You were by my side from the very beginning, and there was so little left until the end. Why couldn’t you hang on just a little longer so we could finish together?” he wrote.

The 38-year-old revealed that his father was not just a parent but also a friend and agent. He plans to raise his children with the same values.

“You were a dad, a friend, and an agent. You were always the person you needed to be at every moment, and you were never wrong about anything. Beyond the occasional disagreements or fights, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out just as you said they would,” Messi wrote.

“I’m going to miss you so much, but you will always be present, especially in how I raise my children, because I teach and raise them just like you two did with me.”

Messi ended his tribute by thanking his father for his support throughout his career.

“Rest in peace and watch over us from above, just as you did here. Thank you for everything.

“I love you, Dad.”

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Jorge Messi, Messi’s father and long-time manager, died at 68 after a long illness.

Jorge was a key figure in Messi’s life. He helped him get treatment for growth hormone deficiency and moved to Barcelona when Messi was just 13.

Messi had talked about his father's health issues after scoring in Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria. He got emotional after scoring and said his tears were not about football but family.

His father’s death came after the family said he was recovering from his illness. Jorge was always there managing Messi's career as he grew from a young talent to one of the greatest football players.