Lionel Messi shares his first message after his dad Jorge passed away
Lionel Messi has shared a heartfelt message about the passing of his dad, Jorge, who died on Saturday at 68 after a long illness. Messi and his family flew to Argentina that evening, and a private funeral was held on Sunday in Perez, Rosario, where his dad was born.
Messi missed Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup game against Monterrey, which they lost 2-1. Before the match, there was a moment of silence and the players wore black armbands to honor him.
The 39-year-old, who recently came back to club football after leading Argentina to the World Cup final, wrote a touching tribute to his dad on Instagram.
“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone,” Messi said. “It hasn’t really hit me — or maybe I just don’t want it to. It’s hard to think I won’t see or talk to you anymore. I know you were hurting and this is probably for the best, but it feels too soon. We still had so much time to spend together.
“You kept reminding me to play in the last World Cup, but your health got worse just before it started. It was the first big tournament you missed. Mom kept hoping you’d feel better and come, and I kept telling you we’d make it to the final so you could watch.
“After every game, I waited to hear from you. When you didn’t message, I realized things were really serious. Still, I kept pushing to go as far as possible—to buy time so you could see at least one match. We reached the final, but you couldn’t be there.
“I wanted to win and bring you the trophy to show you, but I just couldn’t. I pushed my body harder than ever, but it wasn’t right. When I came back, you thought we’d lost the final in a shootout. We didn’t get to talk about it, and you didn’t get to enjoy it. We didn’t win, but you have no idea how much I loved every second we played. You were right—I had to be there.
“I’m telling you all this because it’s the one thing we didn’t get to discuss—you already knew everything else. We talked every day and saw each other whenever I could.
“I don’t know how to go on without you. Soccer was my whole life, and now I’m not sure if I want to keep playing. You were with me from the start, and we were so close to finishing this journey together. Why couldn’t you hang on a little longer?
“I know you found happiness in seeing our family—Mom, me, and the kids doing well—and in watching me play, even if no one else knew how much it meant to you. You always came to my practices and never missed a game, even when work was hard. You loved watching me play, even if you didn’t always say it.
“You were more than a dad—you were a friend and my agent. You were always exactly who I needed at the right moments. Even when we disagreed, you were right in the end.
“I’m going to miss you so much, but you’ll always be with me—especially in how I raise my kids, just like you and Mom raised me.
“Rest in peace, Dad. Watch over us from above, just like you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you.”