Lionel Messi’s father Jorge dies aged 68 after long illness

Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, has died at the age of 68 after a long illness, according to reports from Argentina.

Jorge died at around 10pm at a clinic in Rosario, where he had been receiving medical treatment. His death is a major personal loss for Messi, who shared a close relationship with his father throughout his extraordinary football career.

Newell’s Old Boys, the club where Messi began his youth career, paid tribute to Jorge and described him as a key figure in his son’s rise to the top of world football.

Jorge played key role in Messi’s career

Jorge was instrumental in helping Messi overcome the challenges he faced as a young footballer, including securing the growth hormone treatment he required as a child.

When Barcelona offered Messi the opportunity to move to Spain at the age of 13, Jorge accompanied his son and remained by his side as he adapted to a new country and began his journey with the Catalan giants.

Messi previously reflected on the sacrifices they made during those difficult early years.

“My dad was always by my side. We went through a lot of bad things,” Messi said.

He also recalled his father asking whether he wanted to continue pursuing his football dream or return home to Argentina.

“I wanted to keep going and he stayed with me,” Messi added.

Jorge later became Messi’s agent and played an important role in handling his son’s commercial affairs as his career developed into a global phenomenon.

Messi’s emotional tribute to family

The strength of the relationship between father and son was evident during the 2026 World Cup, when Messi became emotional after scoring for Argentina against Algeria.

The Argentina captain later explained that his tears were connected to difficulties affecting his family rather than the match itself.

“It’s for a reason completely unrelated to sports; I’ve had some difficult, complicated days,” Messi said at the time.

Asked about his family, he added: “The truth is, it’s mostly for my family. Because, well, they’re always there, always supporting me. We’re going through a difficult time right now.”

The family later revealed that Jorge was receiving medical care and was recovering within the context of his condition.

Beyond his role in Messi’s career, Jorge had his own football background. He played as a midfielder in Newell’s youth system before later working at the Acindar factory, where he eventually became a manager.

Jorge remained a prominent figure in Messi’s life as his son won numerous individual and team honours, including a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and 47 major trophies.

His death leaves behind his wife Celia, Lionel and his siblings Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol.