By Sabiu Abdullahi
Jorge Messi, the father and long-time representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68.
According to reports by MARCA and Argentine news outlet Infobae, Jorge died at about 10pm on Friday at a sanatorium in Rosario, Argentina, after a prolonged illness.
Jorge was married to Celia Cuccittini, and the couple had four children: Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias and Maria Sol.
He played an important role in Lionel’s journey from a young footballer at Newell’s Old Boys to an internationally celebrated player.
One of his major contributions came when Lionel needed growth hormone treatment as a youngster. After attempts to obtain the required treatment in Argentina failed, Jorge helped facilitate his son’s move to Barcelona when Lionel was 13.
Jorge later stayed with Lionel in Spain during the early stages of his career, while other members of the family remained in Rosario.
In a 2007 interview, Messi recalled the difficult period and said his father gave him the choice of continuing his football dream in Spain or returning to Argentina.
“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi recalled.
He added, “My old man asked me, what do you want to do, do you want to continue or shall we go back? I wanted to continue and he stayed with me.”
Lionel eventually went on to become one of the most decorated footballers in history after establishing himself at Barcelona and later achieving success with Argentina.
Beyond his role as his son’s father, Jorge also handled several aspects of Lionel’s professional affairs, including negotiations involving major international brands.
Although he was an influential figure in Messi’s career, Jorge generally kept away from public attention and rarely granted interviews.
During one of his interviews, he spoke about the difficult experiences he and his son had shared as Lionel’s career developed.
“You know very well that we have gone through many good and not-so-good moments,” Jorge said.
He also praised Lionel’s character and said the challenges they faced as a family had strengthened them. He described his son as “an excellent person”.
Jorge’s health became a matter of public interest during the 2026 World Cup after Messi appeared emotional following Argentina’s opening game.
After scoring a hat-trick, Messi explained his emotional state when asked about it, saying, “It is for a reason completely unrelated to sport. I had some difficult, complicated days.”
When he was later asked about the family situation, he said, “The truth is, more than anything, because of the family.”
The Messi family later disclosed that Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents”.
Jorge, who trained as a chemical technician, started his career at Acindar, an Argentine steel company, in the 1980s. He eventually rose to a managerial position at the firm.
He also had an early connection with football. Jorge played as a midfielder in Newell’s youth system before leaving the sport after he was called up for military service.
His death represents the loss of a key figure in Lionel Messi’s life and career. Although he largely remained away from the spotlight, Jorge played a major role in supporting and managing his son’s journey to football stardom.