Jorge Messi dies at 68: Lionel Messi’s father remembered

The football world is mourning Jorge Messi, the father and longtime agent of Lionel Messi, who has died aged 68 after a long illness in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

Jorge reportedly died at a medical clinic in the early hours of Saturday (8 August) morning after spending his final months moving between medical treatment and his home, where he was surrounded by his wife, Celia Cuccittini, and their children.

For Lionel Messi, the loss is far more than that of a famous footballer’s father. Jorge was a constant presence throughout a career that began in the youth ranks of Rosario and eventually carried his son to the very top of world football.

Jorge’s connection to his son’s football journey began long before the international trophies and record-breaking achievements.

A supporter of Rosario club Newell’s Old Boys, he watched Lionel join the club as a seven-year-old. When Barcelona signed the youngster at just 13, the family made the life-changing move to Spain in February 2001. While Lionel’s mother and siblings later returned to Rosario, Jorge remained in Barcelona with his son.

That decision reflected the role he would continue to play for years: part father, part adviser and, for a period, Lionel’s representative. Lionel himself has previously spoken about how much his father’s opinion mattered to him.

‘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.’

– Lionel Messi

It was a relationship that stretched well beyond football management. Jorge was one of the people closest to Lionel during the difficult early years of his career.

Jorge was there to witness that triumph of Lionel’s football career, with the relationship between father and son remaining deeply personal despite the enormous attention surrounding Lionel’s career.

During the 2026 World Cup, concerns about Jorge’s health became more widely known after Lionel spoke about going through a difficult personal period. Following an emotional celebration after Argentina’s opening victory over Algeria, Messi explained that his tears were connected to something outside football and that he had experienced ‘a few difficult, complicated days’.

Speculation surrounding his father’s condition grew again later in the tournament before the Messi family confirmed that Jorge was receiving medical treatment for a health-related situation. The family did not disclose the nature of his illness.

Reportedly, Jorge’s death has prompted tributes from the clubs and football institutions that have been closely connected to Lionel’s journey. Newell’s Old Boys described Jorge as ‘the pillar and the person who, with vision, rigour and affection,’ supported Lionel’s career alongside his wife.

El Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys despide con profundo dolor y pesar a Jorge Messi, quien falleció a los 68 años de edad en la ciudad de Rosario.

Reconocido hincha leproso, empresario y padre del capitán del seleccionado argentino, Lionel Andrés Messi.

Jorge fue el sostén y la… pic.twitter.com/8dFPMRdM9Z

Newell’s Old Boys (@Newells) August 8, 2026

The Rosario club also remembered the role he played from Lionel’s earliest days at the Malvinas youth academy through to the biggest stages in world football.

For Newell’s, the connection is particularly poignant. Lionel’s story began in the same city where his father grew up supporting the club, before the pair left Argentina together for Barcelona and a new chapter that would change football history.

Barcelona also paid tribute to Jorge, thanking him for his commitment to the club and for trusting the Catalan side with the beginnings and development of his son’s extraordinary career.

The Argentine Football Association offered its condolences to the Messi family, describing Lionel as the country’s captain and an emblem of Argentine football.

For millions of supporters, Jorge will be remembered as the father of one of football’s greatest-ever players. But his influence on Lionel’s career began when the world knew nothing about the young boy from Rosario who would one day become a global sporting icon.

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Featured Image: @WeAreMessi / X