Jorge Messi, Father and Longtime Agent of Lionel Messi, Dies at 68

Jorge Messi, the father and longtime agent of Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68 in his native Rosario, Argentina, following a prolonged illness, according to multiple Argentine and Spanish media outlets.

He passed away Friday evening at a hospital in the city where his son was born and first began playing the sport that would eventually make him one of the most recognized athletes on the planet.

For decades, Jorge Messi operated largely outside the public eye despite managing the career of arguably the greatest footballer of his generation.

He gave few interviews and rarely appeared alongside his son at major events, preferring instead to work behind the scenes as both a parental figure and a business representative. That dual role placed him at the center of nearly every major decision in Lionel Messi’s career, beginning with a choice that reshaped the trajectory of world soccer.

When Lionel Messi was a teenager playing in the youth ranks of Newell’s Old Boys, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency that required expensive treatment. Argentine clubs, including River Plate, could not offer the financial backing needed to cover it.

Jorge Messi eventually secured a deal with FC Barcelona, an agreement reportedly sketched out on a paper napkin that has since become one of the most referenced anecdotes in the sport’s history. The move uprooted the family and sent a 13-year-old Lionel Messi to Spain, where Jorge Messi remained by his side as other relatives struggled to adjust and eventually returned home.

Lionel Messi has spoken in the past about how difficult that period was for both of them, recalling that he and his father would sometimes retreat separately to cry so the other would not see it, and that his father regularly checked in on whether he wanted to continue pursuing the move or return to Argentina.

Concerns about Jorge Messi’s health became public earlier this year during the World Cup. After scoring in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria in June, Lionel Messi appeared visibly emotional and later told reporters that his reaction had nothing to do with the game itself, describing it instead as the product of a difficult and complicated stretch of days.

The comments fueled speculation that quickly reached the Messi family, prompting them to issue a statement acknowledging that Jorge Messi was dealing with health problems and was under medical supervision. The family also asked that its privacy be respected during that period. At the end of July, Lionel Messi skipped Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game, a decision widely believed to be connected to his father’s condition, before returning to play for Inter Miami just days later.

Jorge Messi is survived by his wife, Celia Messi, and his four children: Lionel Messi, his two older brothers Rodrigo Messi and Matías Messi, and his younger sister, María Sol Messi. Tributes began arriving Saturday from across the soccer world, including from Newell’s Old Boys, the club where Lionel Messi first played and where Jorge Messi was known as a devoted supporter.

In a statement, the club described him as the steady presence who, together with his wife, helped shape the career of the sport’s greatest player through vision, discipline and care, adding that his quiet leadership behind the scenes was central to every stage of his son’s journey.

An official statement from the Messi family regarding funeral arrangements had not been released as of Saturday. Lionel Messi himself has not yet commented publicly on his father’s death.