Jorge Messi, father and agent of Argentine national team star and captain Lionel Messi, passed away this Saturday at the age of 68 in a hospital in the city of Rosario, Argentina.
Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys, the club in his hometown, confirmed the sad news on social media, revealing that he had been undergoing treatment for an unspecified illness in recent months. In its message, the club emotionally described him as “the pillar and the person who, with vision, dedication, and affection, supported the career of the greatest player of all time, alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini.”
Expressions of support were immediate. The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) issued an official statement offering its most sincere condolences “with respect and affection for Lionel.”
A Grief Bearing in Silence During the World Cup
Jorge Messi’s health had already been a profound emotional burden for Lionel during the recent World Cup, where Argentina finished as runner-up. In the tournament’s opening match against Algeria, the Argentine captain was visibly moved to tears after scoring the first of his three goals. He later confessed that his tears were due to “a reason unrelated to sports.”
“I went through some difficult, complicated days,” Lionel said at the time. “I’m grateful to the team and to all my teammates, because they were always by my side, wishing me strength so that I would be okay.”
In response to media speculation at the time, the Messi family issued a firm statement confirming that Jorge was experiencing “a health issue” and demanding an end to media scrutiny. “A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest,” the statement read, lamenting the lack of sensitivity toward a strictly private matter.
The Man Behind the Legend
Before dedicating his life to guiding his son’s career, Jorge Messi worked as a chemical technician and a steelworker. He also had his own story on the soccer field: he played as a midfielder and even played for Newell’s Old Boys’ youth teams, though he had to give up the sport to fulfill his mandatory military service in his country.
His role in soccer history is undeniable. In the early 2000s, it was he who packed their bags and crossed the ocean with a young Lionel bound for Barcelona to take the tryout that would open the doors to La Masia for them. Since then, he has served as his agent, negotiating the historic contracts with Barça, his transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, and managing his investments and image rights. (During this time, father and son also faced complex legal challenges together, such as the tax evasion allegations in Spain in 2016.)
The deep and unbreakable bond between them was immortalized in an interview Lionel gave to Radio del Plata in 2007, in which he recalled his difficult early days in Europe:
“My dad was always by my side. Sometimes I’d lock myself in my room and cry when we arrived in Barcelona, or my dad would do the same without me seeing him—or thinking I didn’t see him. We pretended we were both okay, but we weren’t. My dad even asked me what I wanted to do when we were feeling down—if I wanted to stay or go back—and I wanted to stay, and he stayed with me.”
Today, the soccer world pays its respects to the man who, through hard work and sacrifice, held the hand of that boy from Rosario until he became a legend. Rest in peace, Jorge Messi.
