Lionel Messi said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football as he posted an emotional tribute after his father’s death.
Messi’s father Jorge was 68 when he died last week following a long illness.
Jorge had been the Argentina forward’s agent since he was 14 and watched him become one of the sport’s greatest ever players.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi wrote on social media.
“I don’t know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.
“You were by my side from the very beginning. We were so close to the end. Why didn’t you hang in there just a little longer so we could finish this together?”
Messi captained Argentina as they won the World Cup in 2022 and led them to the 2026 World Cup final, which his side lost 1-0 to Spain, before returning to club side Inter Miami.
He returned home with his family after Jorge passed away in a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.
A private funeral took place on Sunday at a cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario.
“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone,” Messi continued. “It hasn’t sunk in, or rather, I don’t want it to.
“It’s so hard for me to imagine that I’ll never see you again, that we’ll never talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.”
During the World Cup, Messi was brought to tears after scoring the opening goal in Argentina’s 3-0 win against Algeria because of a matter he said was “completely unrelated to football”. A statement from his family later said Jorge was dealing with a “health-related situation”.
Messi added: “You kept asking me to play in one last World Cup, and just days before it started, that’s when you took a turn for the worse.
“It was the first time you weren’t going to be at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you’d get better and that you’d be well enough to travel. I kept telling you that we were going to make it to the final so you could come along.
“Every time a game ended, I’d wait for and miss your message. That’s when I realised how bad the situation was.
“Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time to watch a game. We made it to the final, and you couldn’t be there.
“I wanted to win it so I could bring the trophy to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t, my legs had nothing left. This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never managed to feel right.”
Messi made his sixth appearance at a World Cup as he captained Argentina at the 2026 tournament.
He played eight games during the competition, scoring eight goals and registering four assists.
Messi’s family relocated to Spain in February 2001 after he was signed by Barcelona aged just 13 and, while his mother and three siblings soon moved back to Rosario, his father stayed with him.
The forward went on to score a record 672 goals in 778 games for Barca, helping the club to win the Champions League four times and La Liga title on 10 occasions.
He joined Paris St-Germain in August 2021 before moving to Inter Miami in July 2023, with his contract at the Major League Soccer side running until 2028.
“Of course, you never missed a single game,” said Messi. “How you suffered watching me play and how much you enjoyed it, even though you never gave me much praise.
“You were my dad, my friend and my mentor. You were always exactly the person you needed to be in every moment, and you were never wrong about anything.
“Despite a few disagreements or arguments, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out just as you said they would.
“I’m going to miss you so much, but you’ll always be with me, especially in raising my children, because I teach and raise them just as you both did with me.
“Rest in peace and watch over us from above just as you did here. Thank you for everything.
“I love you, Dad.”
Following Messi’s emotional tribute, Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo posted a message to his fellow forward.
“A huge hug to you and yours in these hard times, Leo. Much strength,” said the 41-year-old.
Inter Miami co-owner and ex-England international Beckham said: “We are with you and your family, Leo, always.” BBC