Argentina captain Lionel Messi’s father and long-time representative, Jorge Messi, has died at 68 following a prolonged illness, MARCA reported on Saturday, citing Argentine outlet Infobae.
He passed away at around 10pm on Friday at a medical facility in Rosario, Argentina.
Behind Lionel Messi’s rise from a young talent at Newell’s Old Boys to one of football’s greatest players stood his father, a figure who remained largely out of the public eye but whose influence on his son’s career ran deep.
Jorge was married to Celia Cuccittini, and together they raised four children — Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol.
His most consequential intervention came early. When Lionel required growth hormone therapy as a child and efforts to secure funding for the treatment in Argentina failed, it was Jorge who arranged his son’s move to Barcelona at the age of 13 – a decision that would alter the course of football history.
He relocated to Spain with Lionel during those uncertain early years, while the rest of the family remained in Rosario.
Messi has spoken before about how pivotal his father’s presence was during that period.
“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” he recalled in a 2007 interview, describing a moment when his father asked him directly what he wanted to do.
“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 set Messi on the path to stardom at Barcelona, where he would go on to become one of the most decorated players the sport has seen.
Off the pitch, Jorge remained just as central, managing his son’s affairs and handling negotiations with major global brands throughout his career.
Despite his outsized role, Jorge gave only a handful of interviews over the years. In one, he addressed his son directly and reflected on their journey together: “You know very well that we have gone through many good and not-so-good moments.”
He said those experiences had only strengthened the family, adding that he considered Lionel, beyond his footballing achievements, “an excellent person.”
Concerns about Jorge’s health first became public during the 2026 World Cup, when Messi grew visibly emotional after Argentina’s opening match.
Having just scored a hat-trick, he was asked about his reaction and said, “It is for a reason completely unrelated to sport.
“I had some difficult, complicated days.” Pressed further afterward, he added, “The truth is, more than anything, because of the family.”
The Messi family later confirmed Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents.”
Before football consumed his life, Jorge trained as a chemical technician and joined Argentine steel company Acindar in the 1980s, rising to a managerial role.
As a young man, he had also played as a midfielder in Newell’s youth system before military service brought his own playing days to an end.
His death closes the chapter on a man who worked largely in the shadows, yet whose decisions and sacrifices shaped one of the most extraordinary careers in the history of football.
(The Whistler)