Jorge Messi, father of Lionel Messi, dies at 68

Jorge Messi has died at the age of 68. He was the father and long-time adviser of Argentina captain Lionel Messi. His death came on the evening of August 7 at a clinic in Rosario, where he had been receiving treatment for some time. The first public sign of the family's ordeal came in June. During the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi said after one of his goals that he was going through a difficult stretch because of family circumstances. Later, it emerged that his father had been under constant medical care. Jorge was born in Argentina and was a technical chemist by profession. He spent many years at the Acindar company, where he eventually reached a managerial position. Football was part of Jorge's own life as well. As a young man, he trained within the Newell's Old Boys system, and it was in Rosario that Lionel Messi took his first steps in the game before moving on to Barcelona.