Jorge Horacio Messi, father of Lionel Messi and one of the most important figures in the Argentine football star’s career, died last night at the age of 68 at a medical center in the city of Rosario, Argentina.

The death occurred at around 10 p.m., according to a report by Infobae. Jorge Messi had been dealing with an illness for some time and remained under medical care.

Jorge Messi was married to Celia Cuccittini, and together they were the parents of Lionel, Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol. For decades, he played a fundamental role in his son’s professional development, accompanying him from his earliest days in football to his emergence as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

In addition to serving as Lionel Messi’s representative, Jorge was a key figure in many of the decisions surrounding his son’s career. When Leo was still a teenager and required medical treatment to continue his development, his father led the necessary efforts to ensure that he could receive it.

He also personally accompanied Lionel during his early years in Barcelona, when the family decided to take the major step of sending the young footballer to Europe. While Jorge remained by his son’s side in Spain, Celia took care of family life back in Rosario.

Jorge Messi’s life was therefore closely intertwined with Lionel’s journey from the very beginning, accompanying him throughout the long path that ultimately saw him become a World Cup champion with Argentina and one of the most recognized footballers of all time.

During the most recent 2026 World Cup, which recently concluded, Jorge was unable to accompany his son in Rosario because of the medical treatments he was undergoing.

The death of Jorge Messi has brought profound sadness to the Messi family and to the football community around the world. Beyond being Lionel Messi’s representative and father, he was a central figure in the personal and professional journey of one of the greatest footballers the sport has ever known.