Argentina’s all‑time great Lionel Messi, 39, posted a somber message on social media on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, expressing “serious doubts” about his ability to continue playing football for “much longer” after the recent loss of his father and agent, Jorge Messi.
“I don’t know what I’ll do without you, I don’t know how to go on. I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer,”
Jorge Messi, 68, passed away last week. The eight‑time Ballon d’Or winner and his family held a private farewell ceremony on Sunday, August 9, 2026, in the town of Pérez, near Rosario, attended by close relatives and a few Argentine teammates. While the exact cause of death was not officially released, local reports indicated that he had been battling cancer.
Messi, whose contract with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami extends through the end of the 2028 season, returned to the United States on the night of Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after attending his father’s funeral.
In his first public comments following Argentina’s 1–0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, Messi reflected on the emotional weight of the tournament’s closing stages.
“I kept telling you we would reach the final so you could make the trip,” he wrote, adding, “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.”
He continued, describing his physical struggle during the match: “This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never felt right.”
Messi also paid tribute to his father’s influence on and off the pitch.
“You were a father, a friend, and an agent. You were always exactly who you needed to be in every moment, and you never put a foot wrong.”
Jorge Messi’s absence from the World Cup in June had sparked media speculation, prompting the family to request “humanity” from reporters amid ongoing rumors about his health. During a group‑stage match against Algeria, Messi broke down in tears after scoring, later acknowledging that he was coping with “a situation outside of sports.”