Newell's Old Boys, Lionel's youth club from Rosario, confirmed Jorge Messi's death on Saturday afternoon. He was 68.
"His constant support and his leadership role behind the scenes were crucial in supporting every step of Lionel's journey, from his beginnings to the highest glory in world football. Thank you for teaching him to love these colours," the statement from Newell's Old Boys said.
Throughout his career, Jorge Messi accompanied his world-famous son as an adviser after Lionel had moved from Newell's Old Boys to Barcelona at the age of 13. During the recent World Cup in North America, it had already emerged that Messi senior was in poor health. The family said at the time, "that Jorge Messi is currently in a health crisis. He is under medical supervision and is making progress within his means."
At the start of the World Cup, TV presenter Florencia Pena mistakenly announced the death of Messi's father during a live broadcast on streaming provider Luzu TV. She later said the production team had given her the false information and she had considered it trustworthy. "I apologise to the Messi family for the difficult time they are going through. I am infinitely sorry that I contributed to this suffering," Pena wrote on Instagram before resigning from her work at Luzu TV.
Born in 1958, Jorge Messi initially worked in a steel factory. Once he recognised the great talent of his third son Lionel, he focused on driving his career forward. Lionel, small in stature, moved to Barcelona's youth academy at 13, received hormone therapy, became a professional at 17 and shaped the club's greatest era. Between 2009 and 2015, Barca won the Champions League three times. Messi won the Ballon d'Or eight times and, together with Cristiano Ronaldo, became the defining player of his generation.
As the father of four children, Jorge Messi negotiated his son's major contracts, including Lionel Messi's moves to Paris Saint-Germain (2021) and, two years later, to Inter Miami.