For decades, Jorge Messi has been a key figure in the career of Lionel Messi, not only as his father but also as his long-time agent and business representative. Although the Argentine superstar's success on the pitch has been the main attraction, Jorge has been in the news for controversies off the pitch from time to time.
Jorge Messi has been the subject of public attention in his own right, from a high-profile tax case in Spain to false reports of his death.
Jorge Messi's Tax Evasion Conviction and Prison Sentence
The biggest scandal that involved Jorge Messi was in 2016 when he and Lionel Messi were found guilty of tax evasion by a Spanish court.
The court determined that father and son had exploited offshore companies to evade taxes on Lionel's image rights from 2007 to 2009. Both said they did not knowingly defraud, claiming they trusted their professional financial advisors.
(Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
Jorge Messi was sentenced to 21 months in prison, the same sentence given to Lionel. But in Spain, first-time non-violent offenders who receive sentences of less than two years typically do not go to jail. Rather, both men were fined heavily and not jailed.
The case was widely publicized, but it did not stop Jorge from representing Lionel in future contract negotiations.
Jorge Messi's Health Scare and Fake Death Rumors
Jorge Messi has also been the victim of a number of false health rumors on social media over the years. Most recently, he was reported to have passed away in an online post, leading to confusion among fans before the reports were soon debunked.
There has been no credible evidence to support those claims, and Jorge has remained in public with Lionel at key career moments.
Jorge has had real health issues on his own. He was reported to have received medical treatment in 2025 after suffering a health problem, but the Messi family and their representatives did not provide any details. The situation sparked a lot of speculation online, but there was not much official information.
His own public persona has made headlines from time to time, but it is his son's remarkable accomplishments that continue to shape the Messi family's legacy in world soccer.
