Argentine legend Lionel Messi bid farewell today, Wednesday, with moving words, to his father Jorge, who died on Saturday at the age of 68 after a long battle with illness.
Deeply affected, the forward posted a lengthy message on his Instagram account expressing his gratitude for the years they spent together.
Messi said in his message: "Dad, I still can't believe you're gone. I haven't taken it in yet, or rather, I don't want to take it in. It's hard for me to imagine that we won't talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left us far too soon. There was still so much for us to enjoy."
He added: "You kept asking me to take part in the last World Cup, and then, days before it started, your condition worsened. That was the first time you would not be present at a tournament, but Mum kept reassuring me that you would get better and be well enough to travel. And I kept reassuring you that we would reach the final so that you could go."
He continued: "Every time a match ended, I would wait for your message. That was when I realised how bad the situation was. Even so, I kept thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time to watch a match. We reached the final, and you could not attend. I wanted to win, and to dedicate it to you, and to show you a new victory. I couldn't; my legs could no longer take any more. This time, I tried hard to push beyond my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never felt comfortable."
He went on: "When you arrived, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn't talk about anything that had happened. You didn't enjoy the match at all. We weren't champions, but you can't imagine how much we enjoyed every match. And once again, you were right: I had to be there and play."
Messi explained: "I'm telling you this because it was the only subject we could talk about; you already know everything else. We talked every day and met whenever my commitments prevented us from seeing each other."
He noted: "I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to carry on. I was playing football, and now I seriously doubt my ability to keep doing it for much longer. You were beside me from the start; we were only a few steps from the end. Why not hold on to each other a little longer, and we would have finished it together?"
He pointed out: "I know your happiness came from seeing your family well, your wife, your children, and above all, without others knowing, seeing me play.. That was how it had been since I was small. You would take me to all the training sessions as soon as you got back from work. And Mum would take me to many of them because you were working."
He added: "Clearly, you didn't miss a single match. You suffered as you watched me and enjoyed it, even though you didn't praise me much."
He continued: "You were a father and a friend and a representative. You were always the person we needed in every situation, and you never got anything wrong. Despite some disagreements or arguments, you were always right. And in the end, things always turned out as you predicted."
He concluded his message: "I will miss you terribly, but you will always remain in my heart, especially in the raising of my children, because I teach them and raise them as you did with me. Rest in peace, and watch over us from above as you always did. Thank you for everything.. I love you, Dad."
Friends, teammates and fans rallied around the Argentine star during this difficult time, posting messages of support and condolence.
Moved by the outpouring, Messi returned to Instagram Stories to thank everyone for the way they treated him after the death of his father.
Messi said: "I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone for the love, respect and great appreciation you have shown me and my family during this difficult period following the death of my father. Thank you for standing by our side, for every message, every gesture, and above all, for respecting our grief and privacy."