New Delhi: Inter Miami and Argentina forward has penned an emotional letter to his ,on August 12. He opened up about how difficult it was for him to lead Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as his father’s health deteriorated.
His father passed away at the age of 68 on August 7 after a long fight with illness. Jorge worked as Messi’s agent and played a crucial role in shaping his son’s career very early. He handled his career from the very beginning as his manager, agent and closest adviser. Jorge remained by his side throughout his son’s rise to the top of world football.
While the footballing world mourned his passing, Messi remained silent and travelled to his hometown of Rosario to attend his father’s funeral. During the World Cup, the Argentine skipper endured an emotional moment despite his sensational start.
He netted a hat-trick in the opening match against Algeria, but broke down in tears after scoring the first goal. Messi later confirmed that he got emotional due to something off the field. In his lengthy Instagram statement, Messi said that it was his father who encouraged him to play in the 2026 World Cup.
The Argentine captain helped his side to qualify for the final of the World Cup, scoring eight goals and providing four assists. Messi further added that he wanted to win the World Cup for his dad, but admitted that he was struggling physically and could not push himself any further in the end.
Messi has decided to take an indefinite break from football and has also been excused by his club Inter Miami. Messi’s rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also commented on his post, extending his support to the Argentine maestro.
Lionel Messi’s full letter to his father
“Dad, I still can’t believe you have gone. It is difficult to imagine that I won’t see you again; that we won’t speak anymore. I know you were suffering and it’s for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.”
“You were my dad, my friend and my agent. You were always the person that had to be there in every moment. You never made mistakes. You were always right. In the end, everything turned out as you said.”
“I am going to miss you so much, but you will always be present, above all in the education of my kids, because I will teach them and educate them as you did with me. You asked me to play in this last World Cup so many times and just before it started was when you were at your worst,” the post continued.
“It was the first time you were not at a tournament, but mum told me you would get better and you would be able to travel. I told you we would reach the final so you could come. When each game finished, I waited for and then missed your messages. That was when I realised how bad the situation was. But I did not stop thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time and for you to be able to see a game if we reached the final.”
“But you could not be there. I wanted to win it to bring it home and show you [the World Cup] again. I couldn’t, my legs had nothing left to give. I tried, but I couldn’t. You thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn’t speak about anything that had happened. I couldn’t enjoy anything,” the post continued.
“We were not champions in the end, but you don’t know how much we enjoyed every game. You were right once again: I had to be there and play at the World Cup. I tell you this because it’s the only thing we could not speak about, because you know everything else. We spoke every day and we saw each other whenever my commitments allowed,”
“I don’t know what I will do without you, how I will go on. I have always just played football and now I have so many doubts about what I will keep doing. You were by my side from the start, there was so little left until the end [of my career]. Why did you not just hold on a little longer and we could have finished it together?.”
“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 the way you and Mum raised me. Rest in peace, Dad, and watch over us from above like you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad,” Messi wrote in an emotional letter to his dad.
Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos said that there is currently no timetable for Lionel Messi’s return to action after his father’s passing.