Messi's father passes away at 68

Jorge Horacio Messi, father and closest advisor to Lionel Messi, one of the most revered players in the football world, has passed away at the age of 68 after a prolonged illness. Dr. Carlos Mackie, the medical director of Sanatorio Centro Medical Clinic in Rosario, Argentina, confirmed that he breathed his last around 2:00 AM on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the clinic.

Further medical details were not disclosed, respecting the privacy of the Messi family, who officially informed Reuters of this sad news.

Information regarding Jorge Messi's illness, a serious but unspecified health condition he had been suffering from for some time, became a major topic of discussion during the 2026 World Cup tournament held in North America. Rumors about his father's illness spread after Lionel Messi emotionally broke down in tears after scoring a goal in Argentina's first victory against Algeria. Consequently, the family issued a statement around June 18, 2026, clarifying that Jorge was under medical supervision and his condition was improving. Furthermore, a false statement made by an Argentine television presenter about his death was strongly condemned, and the journalist who made the false claim later resigned from his position. After winning the runner-up title in the tournament, Lionel Messi visited Rosario to see his father, who could not attend the tournament due to his illness, and then returned to Inter Miami.

In his final months, Jorge Messi spent time between the Rosario medical center and his home, with his wife Celia Cuccittini and children Rodrigo, Matías, and María Sol by his side. Following his father's passing, Lionel Messi, who had withdrawn from the League Cup match in Monterrey representing Inter Miami, arrived in Rosario on Saturday night via a special private plane from Miami. After a private family funeral service, his body was scheduled to be taken to El Prado Private Cemetery in Pérez, near Rosario, on Sunday.

Born on April 24, 1958, in Rosario, Argentina, Jorge Horacio Messi was the son of Eusebio Messi, a mason, and Rosa María Pérez. An important member of a family with Italian and Spanish origins, he gave up playing as a youth footballer for his beloved Newell's Old Boys club after compulsory military service in the Argentine Armed Forces. In 1978, he married Celia María Cuccittini, and they had four children: Rodrigo, Matías, Lionel, and María Sol. Living in a middle-class home near the Paraná River, Jorge attended night classes and trained as a chemical technician, working as a supervisor at the Acindar iron and metal manufacturing plant in Villa Constitución.

Jorge recognized his son's extraordinary football talent early on and also served as a coach at the local Grandoli club, where Lionel began playing around the age of four. When Lionel was 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which cost nearly $900 a month, a sum the family and Newell's club could not afford long-term. In 2000, Jorge traveled to Barcelona with 13-year-old Lionel, negotiated with FC Barcelona, and got sports director Carles Rexach to sign a napkin, agreeing to cover the treatment costs. Despite both secretly crying due to the economic difficulties and loneliness in the initial years, when asked if he wanted to return, Lionel decided to stay, and Jorge remained by his side.

From Lionel's age of 14, Jorge became his official agent and business manager, and was the key figure behind all critical negotiations with clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami. Known as a quiet, protective, and strongly supportive character, Jorge is considered the main foundation of Lionel's success. In his honor, organizations and football clubs worldwide, including Newell's Old Boys, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), CONMEBOL, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Miami, and UNICEF, have expressed their condolences, and arrangements were made for a moment of silence during matches in Argentina.

Jorge Messi played an immense role in guiding Lionel Messi from the dusty streets of Rosario, through hormone treatments and La Masia academy, to 8 Ballon d'Or awards, the 2022 World Cup victory, and subsequent success in Miami. For the passing of this quiet planner who managed the Messi family's vast business affairs while protecting their privacy, condolences from football fans worldwide are being extended to his wife Celia, sons Lionel, Rodrigo, Matías, daughter María Sol, daughter-in-law Antonella Roccuzzo, and grandchildren Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.