Jorge Horacio Messi, the father and longtime agent of Argentine football star Lionel Messi, died on Friday night at a clinic in Rosario, Argentina. He was 68. South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL confirmed the news on Saturday, expressing its condolences to the family.
The exact nature of his illness was never publicly disclosed by the family. Newell’s Old Boys, the Rosario club where Lionel Messi began his footballing life, confirmed that Jorge had undergone treatment for a chronic condition in the months leading up to his death.
Jorge’s health had become a source of concern during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. According to the Associated Press, as reported by NBC Miami, Lionel Messi was visibly emotional after scoring in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, later telling reporters he had been through difficult days for reasons unrelated to football. The Messi family subsequently released a statement confirming Jorge was dealing with a health issue, while asking for privacy and criticising what they described as irresponsible media speculation. They later said he was recovering well.
The Man Behind the Career
Jorge Messi was far more than a supportive parent. He worked for years as a steelworker in Rosario and had played youth football as a midfielder with Newell’s Old Boys before mandatory military service ended his involvement in the sport. Once Lionel’s talent became apparent, Jorge pivoted entirely to managing his son’s affairs.
He was the person who travelled with a young Lionel to Barcelona in the early 2000s, securing the trial that opened the doors to La Masia, the club’s renowned youth academy. When Lionel’s mother and siblings grew homesick and returned to Argentina, Jorge remained in Spain to support his son through those early, difficult years abroad.
In a 2007 radio interview cited by NBC Miami, Lionel recalled that both father and son would privately cry during those early Barcelona days, each trying to shield the other from their homesickness, with Jorge at one point asking his son whether he wanted to stay or go home. Lionel chose to stay. Jorge stayed with him.
Tributes From Across Football
CONMEBOL said it stood alongside Lionel, his family and loved ones with respect and affection at a moment of profound grief, and wished Jorge to rest in peace. Newell’s Old Boys described him as the pillar of Lionel’s rise, crediting his vision, discipline and support from the player’s earliest days at the club through to the pinnacle of world football. The club extended its condolences to Lionel’s mother Celia, as well as his brothers Rodrigo and Matías and sister María Sol.
Jorge Messi is survived by his wife Celia, their four children, and several grandchildren.
Under his father’s guidance, Lionel Messi won eight Ballon d’Or awards, ten La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies with Barcelona, and captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup. He led Argentina to the final of the 2026 World Cup as well.
