Sad News: Messi's Dad, Jorge, Passes Away at 68

Jorge Messi, father and long-time manager of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has passed away at the age of 68. This news was reported on Saturday by MARCA, based on information from Argentine news outlet Infobae.

An independent check by PUNCH Online on Infobae and several other media sources confirmed that Jorge died around 10 pm on Friday at a sanatorium in Rosario, Argentina, after battling a prolonged illness.

Jorge was married to Celia Cuccittini and had four children: Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol. He played a key role in helping his son grow from a young player at Newell’s Old Boys to one of the biggest stars in football.

He was especially important in getting medical treatment for Lionel when he needed growth hormone therapy. After it did not work out in Argentina, Jorge helped arrange for his son to move to Barcelona at just 13 years old.

He stayed with Lionel in Spain during the tough early days of his European football journey, while the rest of the family remained back in Rosario. In a 2007 interview, Lionel recalled a moment when his father asked him if he wanted to keep chasing his dream in Spain or return home.

“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi remembered. He added, “My old man asked me, what do you want to do, do you want to continue or shall we go back? I wanted to continue and he stayed with me.”

That choice was a turning point in Messi's career. He later made a name for himself at Barcelona and became one of the most decorated players in football history. Jorge also played a big role in managing his son’s business affairs, including deals with major global brands.

Though he was very involved in Messi's career, Jorge mostly stayed away from the public eye. He gave only a few interviews throughout the years. In one of those interviews, he shared an emotional message as Lionel was starting to shine as a global football star.

“You know very well that we have gone through many good and not-so-good moments,” Jorge said. He believed those tough times brought the family closer, and he told his son that, beyond being a great footballer, Lionel was “an excellent person.”

Jorge's health became a topic of concern during the 2026 World Cup when Lionel got emotional after Argentina's opening match. After scoring a hat-trick, Messi was asked about his feelings and said, “It is for a reason completely unrelated to sport. I had some difficult, complicated days.”

Later, he spoke about the family situation, saying, “The truth is, more than anything, because of the family.” The Messi family later shared that Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents.”

Jorge was trained as a chemical technician and started working at Acindar, an Argentine steel company, in the 1980s, eventually becoming a manager. He had also played football as a young man, starting as a midfielder in Newell’s youth system before quitting the sport to serve in the military.

His death is a big loss for a figure who stayed mostly behind the scenes but was crucial in developing and managing Lionel Messi’s remarkable career.