Lionel Messi suffered the heartbreaking loss of his father, Jorge Messi, last week.
The 68-year-old had been battling a prolonged illness before passing away at Sanatorio Centro medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina.
Following the news, the Inter Miami star immediately traveled back to Argentina, where he attended a private memorial service with his family.
In the aftermath of his father's death, reports emerged that Messi could take a break from soccer. However, neither the player nor Inter Miami officially confirmed any plans for him to step away from the game.
(Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Now, the 38-year-old has broken his silence in an emotional tribute to his late father.
Messi Pens Message for Late Father
In a heartfelt social media post, Messi reflected on his father's final days and revealed how Jorge had repeatedly encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup. The Argentina legend also opened up about the pain of knowing his father would not be there to watch him at the tournament.
“You kept asking me to play in the last World Cup, and days before it started, you were at your worst. It was the first time you weren't going to be in a tournament, but Mom told me you were going to get better and that you'd be well enough to travel. I told you we were going to make it to the final so you could go.”
Messi then recalled the difficult moments after each game, when he would instinctively look for a message from his father.
“Every time a match ended, I waited for and missed your message. That's when I realized the situation was truly bad.”
The Barcelona legend also revealed that he continued pushing himself throughout the tournament, hoping Argentina could reach the final and give his father enough time to recover and watch him play.
“Even so, I kept thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time to see a match. We made it to the final, but you couldn't be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn't; my legs just gave out. This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never felt right.”
Despite Argentina falling short of winning the World Cup, Messi said he still cherished the experience and ultimately realized that his father had been right about him needing to be there.
“When I arrived, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn't talk about anything that had happened. You couldn't enjoy anything. We weren't champions, but you have no idea how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play.”
