Lionel Messi Bids Farewell to Father Jorge, His Lifelong Guide
Messi returns to Rosario for a private funeral as football figures and fans pay tribute to the father who helped shape his historic career.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Lionel Messi returned to his hometown of Rosario on Sunday to say farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, the man who guided the Argentine football star from his earliest days on local pitches to the heights of the global game.
Jorge Messi, 68, died late Friday at a clinic in Rosario following a battle with cancer, according to Argentine media reports. His death prompted tributes from across the football world and brought Messi back from Miami, where he had been playing for Inter Miami.
Messi arrived in Argentina late Saturday with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children. A private funeral ceremony attended by close family members and some of Messi's Argentina teammates was held Sunday at El Prado cemetery in Perez, near Rosario.
A Family Farewell
The cemetery gates were covered with messages from supporters offering condolences to the football icon and his family.
"He has brought so much joy to this country, now it's our turn to give a little back and offer him some comfort," 15-year-old fan Lucas Blanco told AFP, according to Agence France-Presse.
Other supporters travelled hundreds of kilometres to stand outside the cemetery, underscoring the personal connection many Argentines feel with the country's most celebrated footballer.
Messi's teammates have also rallied around him. Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, one of Messi's closest friends, paid tribute after scoring against Monterrey on Saturday by removing his shirt to reveal Messi's No. 10 jersey.
The Father Behind the Career
Jorge Messi was more than the player's father. He was his first coach, later becoming his agent and a central figure in the decisions that shaped his son's extraordinary career.
Born and raised in Rosario, Jorge worked as a metalworker and managed youth teams at Grandoli, a small local club where Lionel began playing football at the age of four.
When Barcelona invited the 13-year-old Messi to Spain in 2000, Jorge left Argentina with him, helping his son continue his football development while receiving treatment for a growth hormone deficiency.
Messi later recalled the emotional difficulties of leaving home and beginning a new life in Spain, describing how he and his father privately struggled while trying to appear strong for each other.
Jorge subsequently represented his son as his agent, helping oversee major stages of a career that took Messi from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and eventually Inter Miami.
A Difficult Year
Jorge's absence during the 2026 World Cup had already raised questions about his health. During the tournament, Messi's family asked the media for "humanity" amid speculation surrounding his father's condition.
After scoring against Algeria, Messi acknowledged that he was dealing with "a situation outside of sports" and thanked his teammates and the Argentina delegation for supporting him.
Following Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain, Messi returned to Rosario to spend time with his family.
The Argentine Football Association ordered a minute's silence before matches and black armbands at games across all age groups for the week, reflecting the significance of Jorge Messi's death to Argentine football.
For Messi, Sunday's private farewell marked the end of a deeply personal chapter in a career in which his father's influence was present from the beginning.