- Safiu Kehinde
Eight times Ballon D’or winner, Lionel Messi, has lost his father, Jorge Messi, who died on Friday night at the age of 68.
Jorge reportedly passed away at a medical clinic in the Argentine city of Rosario after a long illness, the Argentine footballer’s family confirmed to Reuters.
The father of the footballer icon spent his final months alternating between a medical center in Rosario and his home, accompanied by his wife Celia and his children Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol, the family said.
According to Reuters, Lionel Messi spent time with his father after the World Cup before rejoining his club, Inter Miami, for whom he returned to action a week ago.
The story of Messi’s illustrious career cannot be complete with mentioning Jorge who closely accompanied his son throughout his career, beginning with his early years at Barcelona.
He acted as a crucial pillar of support and, for several years, served as his representative.
“I always needed my dad’s approval, ever since I was a kid. After every match, I’d ask him what he thought of how I played,” the global soccer star said previously.
During the World Cup, the captain of the Argentine national team experienced mixed emotions after scoring a hat trick in the opening match against Algeria, breaking down in tears while celebrating his first goal.
Later, at a press conference, Lionel explained that his tears were due to “something unrelated to football” after going through “a few difficult, complicated days.”
Days later, the family issued a statement regarding Jorge’s “health situation”, informing the public that he was undergoing medical treatment.