Lionel Messi’s father Jorge dies at 68 after prolonged illness

Jorge Messi, the father and long-time representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68.

MARCA reported the development on Saturday, citing Argentine news outlet Infobae, while checks by Very Nigerian on Infobae and other media reports confirmed that Jorge died at about 10pm on Friday at a sanatorium in Rosario, Argentina, following a prolonged illness.

Jorge, who was married to Celia Cuccittini, had four children: Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias and Maria Sol.

He played a crucial role in Lionel’s development from a young footballer at Newell’s Old Boys into one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

Jorge was particularly instrumental in helping his son secure medical treatment after Lionel was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child.

When efforts to obtain the required treatment in Argentina proved unsuccessful, Jorge helped facilitate Lionel’s move to Barcelona at the age of 13.

He subsequently stayed with his son in Spain during the early and challenging stages of his European career, while the rest of the family remained in Rosario.

Recalling that period during a 2007 interview, Lionel said his father had given him the choice of continuing to pursue his football dream in Spain or returning home.

“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi recalled.

He added: “My old man asked me, what do you want to do, do you want to continue or shall we go back? I wanted to continue and he stayed with me.”

That decision proved pivotal as Messi went on to establish himself at Barcelona and eventually become one of the most decorated footballers of all time.

Beyond his role as a father, Jorge became a central figure in managing Lionel’s professional affairs, including contract negotiations and commercial agreements with major international brands.

Despite his influence, Jorge generally maintained a low profile and rarely granted interviews.

In one of his notable public comments about his son, he reflected on the difficult journey the family had experienced together.

“You know very well that we have gone through many good and not-so-good moments,” Jorge said.

He added that those experiences had strengthened the family and described Lionel as not only a great footballer but also “an excellent person”.

Jorge’s health became a subject of public attention during the 2026 World Cup after Lionel became emotional following Argentina’s opening match.

After scoring a hat-trick, Messi was asked about his reaction and explained that it was unrelated to football.

“It is for a reason completely unrelated to sport. I had some difficult, complicated days,” he said.

Asked later about the family situation, Messi replied: “The truth is, more than anything, because of the family.”

The Messi family subsequently disclosed that Jorge was under medical supervision and recovering within the condition he was experiencing.

Jorge was trained as a chemical technician and began working at Acindar, an Argentine steel company, in the 1980s, eventually rising to a managerial position.

He also had a football background, having played as a midfielder in Newell’s youth system before leaving the sport after being called up for military service.

His death marks the loss of a central but largely behind-the-scenes figure in Lionel Messi’s extraordinary journey from a young boy in Rosario to a global football icon.

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