BUENOS AIRES: Argentina superstar and inspiration behind his country's 2022 World Cup victory Lionel Messi said Wednesday he has "serious doubts" about continuing to play football for "much longer" after the death of his father Jorge Messi.
"I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to go on. I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer," Messi, 39, wrote in a message on social media. His father, who was also his agent, died last week aged 68. In the message, Messi, whose contract with Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami runs till the end of the 2028 season, reflected on the final months of his father's life.
"You kept asking me to play in one last World Cup, yet just days before it started, your condition took a turn for the worse," wrote Messi, who returned to the United States on Tuesday night following his father's funeral on Sunday. "We made it to the final, but you couldn't be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn't, my legs just gave out."
Messi highlighted his father's pivotal role in his life and career, noting that Jorge was his first coach and lifelong supporter. Jorge was the agent who negotiated contracts on his behalf, from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, guiding him through every step of his legendary professional career.