Lionel Messi flew back to Rosario, Argentina on Saturday to be with his family following the death of his father and longtime manager Jorge Messi, who passed away aged 68 after a prolonged illness. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Jorge had been at the centre of his son's life and career since childhood, guiding the football superstar from the youth academies of Rosario to the pinnacle of the global game.
Rosario, Argentina's second-largest city and the birthplace of both Messis, was where Jorge — a former steel worker — first introduced his son to football at Newell's Old Boys, a storied Argentine club. Lionel joined the club's youth academy at seven years old, and when Barcelona signed him at just 13, Jorge relocated to Spain to stay by his side. While the rest of the family eventually returned to Argentina, Jorge remained with Lionel through his years at Barcelona, during which the younger Messi won four Champions League titles and ten La Liga championships, and became an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. "Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor and affection the career of the greatest player of all time," Newell's Old Boys wrote in a tribute posted to X, adding: "Thank you for teaching him to love these colours."
Messi, 39, who plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in the United States, missed the club's Leagues Cup match against Monterrey on Saturday night. Inter Miami players wore black armbands and observed a minute of silence before kick-off in his honour. During the match, Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul — also a national team-mate of Messi — scored and lifted his shirt to reveal a Messi No. 10 jersey in tribute. The Argentine Football Association said it "deeply mourns" the passing and expressed solidarity with the family.
Jorge's health had already cast a shadow over Messi's record sixth World Cup appearance this summer. An Argentine television presenter falsely reported Jorge's death during Argentina's opening match — a claim the family firmly denied. The presenter later resigned. Argentina ultimately reached the final, where they were defeated 1-0 by Spain on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. After a visibly emotional hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage, Messi acknowledged that he had been "through some difficult, complicated days" — widely understood as a reference to his father's deteriorating health.
The death of Jorge Messi closes a chapter that was inseparable from one of football's greatest stories. Beyond his role as agent and manager, Jorge was described by those close to the family as an ever-present source of guidance and stability. Barcelona thanked him "for his commitment to our club, for entrusting us with the beginnings and the most glorious years of his son Leo's football career." A private memorial service is expected to be held in Rosario.