Messi unsure he will play 'much longer' after father's death

Mandeep Sanghera - BBC Sport journalist Wed, August 12, 2026 at 2:03 PM UTC

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Lionel Messi helped Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final in July

Lionel Messi said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football as he posted an emotional tribute after his father's death.

Messi's father Jorge was 68 when he died last week following a long illness.

Jorge had been the Argentina forward's agent since he was 14 and watched him become one of the sport's greatest ever players.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," Messi, 39, wrote on social media.

"I don't know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I'm really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer.

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"You were by my side from the beginning; there was so little left until the end. Why couldn't you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?"

Messi captained Argentina as they won the World Cup in 2022 and led them to the 2026 World Cup final, which his side lost 1-0 to Spain, before returning to club side Inter Miami.

He returned home with his family after Jorge passed away in a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

A private funeral took place on Sunday at a cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario.

More to follow.

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