Buenos Aires.- Jorge Horacio Messi, father and representative of Lionel Messi, passed away at 68 in the Argentine city of Rosario, after battling a prolonged illness that had caused concern within the world football star’s family circle in recent months.
The death occurred around 10:00 PM on Friday, August 7 at a sanatorium in Rosario, where he remained admitted due to his state of health. The news broke during the early hours of this Saturday.
Beyond his role as a father, Jorge Messi was for decades one of the most influential figures behind the professional career of the Argentine captain. He handled a large part of his contractual, commercial, and administrative affairs, generally maintaining a discreet profile in the face of the international exposure achieved by his son.
One of the defining moments of that relationship occurred when Lionel was still a child. Faced with the difficulties of obtaining coverage for the hormonal treatment the young footballer needed in Argentina, Jorge pushed for different efforts until the possibility of trying his luck at FC Barcelona arose.
The family traveled to Spain when Messi was 13 years old. Amidst the difficulties of adapting, Jorge remained by his son’s side in Barcelona after Lionel decided to continue trying to make his way through the youth ranks of the Catalan club. That decision ended up becoming one of the starting points of one of the most successful careers in the history of football.
With Messi’s athletic growth, his father also took on an increasingly important role in negotiations linked to his career and the so-called Messi brand, participating in commercial and contractual agreements while avoiding becoming a regular media personality.
Jorge’s health had gained public relevance during the 2026 World Cup, when Lionel appeared visibly emotional after Argentina’s debut and acknowledged that he was going through difficult days due to a situation unrelated to soccer. Subsequently, the family reported that his father remained under medical supervision and that, at that time, he was progressing favorably within his clinical condition.
In June, there were even false versions circulating that claimed Jorge Messi had passed away. The family then came out to deny those reports and asked for respect regarding the private situation they were going through.
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Jorge was married to Celia Cuccittini and was the father of Lionel, Rodrigo, Matías, and María Sol Messi. Although he rarely gave interviews, he accompanied the main moments of the Argentine footballer’s sporting life for decades and was a regular presence alongside the family at major international competitions.
His passing closes a story closely linked to the building of Lionel Messi’s career: from the efforts of a father seeking opportunities for a boy from Rosario with extraordinary footballing skills to the management of the professional interests of one of the greatest figures in world sports.
