Leo Messi says goodbye to his father: “You were by my side from the beginning”

The Argentine footballer Leo Messi has said goodbye to his father, Jorge Messi, who died last Saturday at the age of 68, with an emotional letter published on his social networks in which he remembers his fundamental role from the beginning of his career and regrets not having been able to share with him his last great moments on the field of play.

“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. I’m not falling, or rather, I don’t want to fall,” begins Messi, who admits that it’s “very difficult for him to imagine” that he’ll never see or talk to him again. “You left too soon. We still had a lot to enjoy together,” laments the Argentine.

The captain of the Argentine national team especially remembers the 2026 World Cup, after his father insisted that he play in “the last World Cup.” Messi explains that Jorge’s health worsened days before the start of the tournament and that he hoped to reach the final so that he could travel and see him play. “I told you that we were going to reach the final so you could travel,” he remembers.

Although Jorge Messi was ultimately unable to accompany him in the final lost by Argentina to Spain, his son says that he waited for his messages after each match and that he wanted to go as far as possible to give him time to recover and attend a match. “We reached the final and you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it to win it and show you a new one,” writes Messi, who admits that he couldn’t do it because “my legs didn’t give me any more.” “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,” he adds.

The Argentine also remembers the beginning of his career, when his father took him to training after work, and highlights that “you didn’t miss games.” “How you suffered watching me and how you enjoyed it, although you never gave me much praise,” he recalls. Messi defines Jorge as “dad, friend and representative” and assures that “you were always the person you had to be at all times and you were never wrong about anything.”

“You were by my side from the beginning, there was so little left until the end,” says Messi, who even leaves open the possibility that his future in football will be affected by the loss. “I only played soccer and now I have quite a few doubts that I will continue doing so for much longer,” he confesses.

Messi closes his tribute by assuring that his father will continue to be present in his life and, especially, in the education of his children. “I’m going to miss you a lot, but you’ll always be present,” he writes before saying goodbye: “Rest in peace and take care of us from above like you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, dad.”