Messi bids farewell to father who guided his glittering career

Argentina football icon Lionel Messi bid farewell on Sunday to his father, the global star’s emotional anchor and agent since childhood, who passed away following a battle with cancer aged 68. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner touched down on a private flight from Miami late on Saturday with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children […]

dailytimes.com.pk ·2d ago

Lionel Messi has bid farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 following a battle with cancer. According to the Daily Times, Jorge Messi was the global star's emotional anchor and agent since childhood.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, attended a private ceremony with close family and a few Argentina teammates at El Prado cemetery in the town of Perez, adjacent to Rosario. The Malay Mail and Channel News Asia reported that the gates of the cemetery displayed handwritten messages from fans, including "Stay strong, Leo, we love you" and "Stay strong, Messi family", alongside a large floral wreath.

Messi's teammates, including Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes and Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo de Paul, rallied around their captain following Jorge Messi's death at a clinic in Rosario. De Paul paid tribute by taking off his shirt to reveal Messi's number 10 jersey after scoring a goal in a 2-1 defeat to Monterrey in Miami on Saturday, as reported by the Malay Mail and Channel News Asia.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, Malay Mail, Channel News Asia, Euronews, Punch — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.