KB News Desk
Lionel Messi said he was unsure how much longer he could continue his playing career following the death of his father.
The BBC reported Tuesday that Messi posted an emotional tribute to his father on Instagram and expressed uncertainty about his future in soccer.
Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, recently died at age 68 after a long illness. According to the BBC, his funeral was held privately at a cemetery outside Rosario, Argentina.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do without my father. I don’t know how to keep moving forward,” Messi wrote on social media. “I’ve just played soccer my whole life, and now I really don’t know if I’m going to keep doing this much longer.”
Messi said his father had been by his side from the beginning and expressed anguish that he died when they were so close to the end of his career.
“We were so close to the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish this together?” Messi wrote. “I still can’t believe you’re gone. It doesn’t feel real.”
Messi said it was difficult to accept that he would never see or speak with his father again. While acknowledging that his father had been suffering, he said the loss came too soon and that they still had much they wanted to experience together.
“I wanted to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup and show you the trophy, but I couldn’t,” Messi wrote. “There was nothing left in my legs. I tried to push beyond my physical limits, but I couldn’t.”
The BBC noted that Jorge had served as Messi’s agent since the player was 14 and watched his son develop into one of the greatest players in soccer history.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
