Lionel Messi casts doubt about playing future after father’s death: ‘I don’t know how to carry on’ originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Lionel Messi‘s father Jorge was instrumental in his life and career, as the two remained extremely close.
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Jorge Messi passed away earlier this week, leaving the greatest player of all-time without his most ardent supporter and career-long champion.
In the first public words from Lionel since his father’s passing, the Argentina and Inter Miami star detailed just how close the two were, penning a heartfelt letter to Jorge on social media that laid bare the relationship they shared.
The Sporting News details what Messi said about his Jorge, and what can be taken from the lengthy letter about Messi’s future in football.
MORE:More about the death of Lionel Messi’s father Jorge
In an open letter written to his late father and posted publicly on social media, Lionel Messi described just how close the two were, gave insight into the supporter Jorge was, and lamented the time he had hoped they would still have together.
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“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone,” the note began. “It hasn’t sunk in—or rather, I don’t want it to sink in. It’s so hard to imagine that I won’t see you again, that we won’t talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon.”
Messi went on to confirm that the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the first time Jorge was not able to watch him play in a major tournament.
“Mom kept telling me you’d improve and be well enough to travel. I kept telling you we’d make it to the final so you could come. After every match, I’d wait for — and miss — your message. That’s when I realized how serious the situation really was.”
The 39-year-old spoke about how his father’s worsening condition robbed him of the ability to watch Argentina enjoy their journey to the 2026 World Cup final.
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“We didn’t get to talk about any of what happened. You didn’t get to enjoy any of it. We didn’t become champions, but you have no idea how much we enjoyed every match.”
Then, Messi suggested his father’s death has cast uncertainty upon his ongoing playing career.
“I don’t know what I’ll do without you,” Lionel wrote. “I don’t know how to go on. All I ever did was play football, and now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and we were so close to the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish this journey together?”
The Inter Miami star continued to describe how much of an ever-present figure Jorge was for his son.
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“You never missed a single match. How you suffered watching me, and how you enjoyed it—even if you rarely heaped praise on me. You were a dad, a friend, and an agent. You were always exactly who you needed to be in every moment, and you never got it wrong.”
Jorge Messi, the father of Lionel Messi, also worked as the player’s agent and generally managed much of his off-field affairs.
According to The Athletic, Jorge was a supervisor at a metal factory in Rosario, Argentina, before he took on the responsibilities of overseeing the career of arguably the greatest soccer player who has ever lived.
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Messi and his father always maintained a very close relationship, despite the inevitable complications of overlapping professional and personal lives. Jorge helped to plot his son’s career path via the Barcelona academy and was often a pivotal figure in contract negotiations.
Such close working ties sometimes caused problems. Back in 2013, at a time when Spanish authorities began to clamp down on alleged tax evasion, the Messis were accused of avoiding €4.1 million by routing income via image rights through offshore tax havens.
Jorge Messi largely took responsibility during a court hearing, during which he said he had followed the guidance of tax advisors. His son said he “signed the contracts as I trusted my dad.”
In 2016, both men were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009, while Lionel Messi played for Barcelona. They were initially given prison sentences — 21 months for Lionel, 15 months for Jorge — which, according to Spanish law, they were permitted to serve on probation. In 2017, those sentences were changed to fines totalling approximately €432,000 ($495,000).
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There are serious doubts about how long Lionel Messi will continue his career after reading this letter to his father.
He will turn 40 next June, and it’s widely expected that Messi will retire from Argentina national team duty in the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup.
Yet he hasn’t done that officially. With the possibility of the 2028 Copa America being played in the United States, Messi could theoretically continue on for both club and country,.
Yet after his words to his late father, it’s easy to see Messi losing the joy of playing football to the point where he’s driven to retire. It’s all still speculation at this point.
