Lionel Messi shares tribute to late father Jorge, expresses doubts about continuing to play soccer

Lionel Messi paid tribute to his late father, Jorge, on social media, expressing his difficulty in leading Argentina to the World Cup final and questioning his future in soccer. In Spanish, Messi's post read: "I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to keep going. All I ever did was play soccer, and now I have serious doubts about whether I'll keep doing it for much longer."

Jorge Messi, who played a crucial role in his son's career, died at the age of 68. Messi led Argentina to a runner-up position in this summer's World Cup, where he scored three goals, including the opening one against Algeria. He wept after the match, attributing his tears to a reason unrelated to sports. The post mentioned that Messi's father had asked him to play in the last World Cup, but his health had deteriorated before the tournament began.

Messi had promised his father that they would reach the final. However, Messi's body could not keep up with his aspirations, and he expressed uncertainty about continuing his soccer career. Messages of support for the Messi family have been flooding in. Despite his recent return to Argentina, Messi missed Inter Miami's MLS League Cup match against Monterrey.

Inter Miami faces León in the group phase of the tournament on Wednesday night, though there is no timetable for Messi's return to Inter Miami.