NewzLionel Messi's father and agent Jorge dies at the age of 68 following a long illness. Jorge Messi, the father of Argentina legend and current Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68, multiple sources confirmed. The elder Messi also served as his son’s agent.
According to Argentine outlet Infobae, which was among the first to report the news, Jorge Messi died after a prolonged [...] Jorge Messi was Lionel Messi's first coach in Argentina and his sole companion when he first moved to Barcelona as a child, before later becoming his agent. (AFP pic)BUENOS AIRES: Jorge Messi, the father and agent of Lionel Messi, has died aged 68, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's childhood club Newell's Old Boys announced on Saturday.Argentinian media reported Jorge Messi had passed away on Friday in a hospital in Rosario."His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel," Newell's Old Boys said in a social media post.Jorge Messi was his son's first coach in Argentina and his sole companion when he first moved to Barcelona as a child before later becoming his agent."My father helped me enormously.
That made me always want to push myself further," Lionel Messi told DirecTV Sports in 2022.Messi's family asked the media for "humanity" during the recent World Cup amid persistent rumours over Jorge's health. Jorge Messi, the father of soccer star and Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68 on August 8, at a hospital in the central Argentina city of Rosario. The Rosario-based Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys announced his death in a social media post that said he had undergone treatment in recent months for an unspecified illness.
The post described him as “the pillar and the person who, with vision, rigor and affection, supported the career of the best player of all time, alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini.” The South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, in a statement also offered its condolences “with respect and affection for Lionel.” Lionel Messi led Argentina to a runner-up finish in this year’s World Cup. In the team’s first match, against Algeria, he was visibly emotional after scoring the first of his three goals. He said later that he wept for “a reason unrelated to sports.” “I went through some difficult, complicated days,” he said.
“I am grateful to the delegation, to all my teammates, because they were always by my side wishing me strength so that I would be OK.” Media reports at the time outraged the Messi family, which days later released a statement confirming that “Jorge is experiencing a health issue,” without specifying the nature of his condition. “A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest,” according to the statement, which also expressed “discomfort at the lack of sensitivity, respect and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter.” Jorge Messi was a chemical technician and worked as a steelworker. He played soccer as a midfielder and reached the youth ranks of Newell’s Old Boys but had to abandon the sport to complete his mandatory military service in Argentina.
He played a fundamental role in his third son’s career, serving as his agent and managing his business affairs. He was the one who traveled with a young Messi to Barcelona in the early 2000s for the trial that would open the doors to La Masia, the Catalan club’s youth academy. Lionel Messi made his professional debut in 2005 and went on to win eight Ballon d’Or awards.
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