Lionel Messi bids farewell to father who guided his glittering career
Private ceremony with close family and a few teammates takes place at a cemetery in the town of Pérez. Leer más
Lionel Messi paid tribute to his late father, Jorge, on Sunday, as the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner bid farewell to the emotional anchor and agent who passed away at the age of 68 following a battle with cancer. The ceremony took place in Pérez, near Rosario, with close family and a few teammates in attendance. Jorge's unusual absence from the World Cup in June had drawn attention earlier, and his family had requested privacy during his final days.
Fans left messages of support at the cemetery, where the gates displayed messages such as "Stay strong, Leo, we love you" and "Stay strong, Messi family". Messi's teammates rallied around their captain, with Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes stating, "It will surely do him good for us to be there". The cause of Jorge Messi's death has not been disclosed, but local media reported that he had been suffering from cancer for several months.
The Argentine Football Association ordered a minute's silence before matches and black armbands at games across all age groups for the week.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
