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Argentine star Lionel Messi said on Wednesday that he has "quite a few doubts" about continuing to play soccer for "much longer," in an emotional farewell letter to his father and agent, Jorge Messi, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 68.
In his first reaction since the death of his father, the 39-year-old star looked back on the final months of his father's life, marked by the worsening of the cancer that—according to media reports—claimed his life.
The deterioration of the health of Jorge Messi, a central figure in the brilliant career of the No. 10, coincided with the 2026 World Cup. Argentina lost the final against Spain (1-0) on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you; I don't know how to keep going. I only played soccer, and now I have quite a few doubts that I will continue doing so for much longer," wrote Messi in a letter published on Instagram, which he accompanied with photographs alongside his father.
"You asked me so much to play the final World Cup, and days before it started was when you got the worst. It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament," added the Albiceleste captain. "I told you we were going to make the final so you could travel."
- "I could never feel good" -
The former FC Barcelona forward, under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, assured that he wanted to win the World Cup to bring it to his father.
But he acknowledged that he was unable to because his body did not respond in the championship match against a Spain team that overwhelmed Argentina.
The poor health of Jorge Messi, who was buried on Sunday near Rosario, became public in the middle of the competition in North America.
In the World Cup debut against Algeria, Messi cried after scoring one of his three goals in the 3-0 victory. Afterward, he acknowledged that his unusual display of emotion had to do with his father's situation.
"Every time a game ended, I waited for and missed your message. That's when I realized that the situation was truly bad. Even so, I didn't stop thinking about getting as far as possible, to give you time to see one more game," he recounted.
"We reached the final and 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 couldn't give any more. This time I tried to fight against my physique, but I couldn't. I could never feel good," he added.
After losing the final in his sixth and last World Cup, the star returned to his country to visit his father. He noticed that his father had not been able to enjoy the competition.
"When I arrived, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We weren't able to talk about anything that happened," he maintained. "We weren't champions, but you don't know how much we enjoyed every game. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play it."
The emotional letter drew numerous reactions of support, from former teammates of the star like Neymar and Kun Agüero to Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and the Argentine president, Javier Milei.
"A huge hug to you and yours in these difficult times, Leo. Stay strong," said Cristiano Ronaldo, the great adversary of the No. 10 for the title of the best in the world.
- "Papá, amigo y representante" -
Messi, who has not defined his international future, left Argentina on Tuesday night bound for the United States, according to local press. Neither he nor Inter Miami have reported when he will return to competition.
He had a superlative World Cup in the epilogue of a career that, for many, has crowned him as the best soccer player in history.
He was responsible, with eight goals and play matching his best moments, for taking his country to its second consecutive final in the biggest soccer event.
Jorge Messi is considered a fundamental piece in the career of the most decorated soccer player in history.
Critical and demanding with his son, but also his most constant pillar, he was the one who accompanied Lionel from the humble fields of Rosario, north of Buenos Aires, to the pinnacle of soccer.
"You didn't miss a single game. How much you suffered watching me and how much you enjoyed it, even though you never gave me much praise," the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner recalled in his letter.
"You were a father, friend, and agent. You were always the person you needed to be at every moment and you were never wrong about anything," he pointed out. "Rest in peace and watch over us from above as you did here. Thank you for everything."
[Publicidad]