What happened to Lionel Messi’s father Jorge Messi?

Jorge Messi, the father of soccer star Lionel Messi, died on Friday night at the age of 68 at a medical clinic in the ‌Argentine city of Rosario after a long illness.

Thousands of people took to social media to pay tribute to Jorge Messi for supporting his footballer son who became one of the legends of the game. 

Fans also expressed condolences to Lionel Messi after news of his father's death surfaced online.

Jorge spent his final months alternating between a medical center in Rosario and his home, accompanied by his wife Celia and his children Rodrigo, Matías and ⁠María Sol, the family said in a statement.

Lionel Messi spent time with his father after the World Cup before rejoining his club, Inter Miami, for whom he returned to action a week ago.

The family did not publicly disclose the specific illness.

However, unverified earlier speculation mentioned possible pancreatic or colon issues, but no official confirmation exists.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Messi, the captain of the Argentine ⁠national team experienced mixed emotions after scoring a hat trick in the opening match against Algeria, breaking down in tears while celebrating his first ⁠goal.

Later, at a press conference, Lionel Messi explained that his tears were due to "something unrelated to football" after going through "a few difficult, ⁠complicated days."

Days later, the family issued a statement regarding Jorge's "health situation", informing the public that he was undergoing medical treatment.