Online Reporter
LIONEL MESSI’S tears after scoring for Argentina against Algeria were brought on by worries over his sick father Jorge.
Messi wept on the turf in Kansas City, moments after netting a historic first-ever World Cup hat-trick in Argentina‘s 3-0 opening win.
The 38-year-old’s stellar performance set an early pace for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
But it was the weight of his father’s health battle that caused the footballing great to break down.
The 68-year-old is exceptionally close to his son, serving as both his agent and business manager to oversee the forward’s multi-million pound commercial empire off the pitch.
Addressing his tears after the final whistle, the Argentina captain admitted: “Honestly, it is something completely unrelated to sport. It has been a difficult, complicated few days.”
The exact reason for his distress was confirmed on Radio Mitre by journalist Eduardo Feinmann.
He disclosed details of Jorge’s illness to one of Argentina’s biggest broadcasting audiences.
He said: “This has to do with his father. His father is not in good health. “For quite some time now, several months, since last year.And this week there were some situations that slightly worsened his health, and Messi is going through this internal struggle.”
“In other words, like any human being.”
Jorge reportedly suffered a medical episode at his home in January, resulting in a hospital admission. While he underwent a series of cardiovascular and neurological tests, the family chose not to share an official diagnosis, keeping his health battle strictly private until now.
Messi and Jorge have always been close, not only as father and son but also from a footballing point of view. As a passionate football fan, Jorge was always by his son’s side, coaching him and offering guidance.However, it wasn’t long before Newell’s Old Boys, Rosario’s most prestigious club, spotted his talent and came knocking.
The nurturing and hard work Jorge put into his son’s game helped him develop, but Lionel and Jorge soon disappeared for a few weeks— with his school and those outside the family having no idea where they had gone. The truth was they were in Catalonia on trial with Barcelona, where he amazed coaches at the La Masia Academy but wasn’t offered a deal straight away.
He eventually signed for Barca and went on to become the club’s greatest ever player and an all-time legend of the sport, with many regarding Messi as the greatest footballer of all time.
Although Jorge now runs things remotely from Rosario, and other people run his businesses, he is still very much hands-on.
Based in central Barcelona, the Messi family office includes a receptionist, a German financial controller, private banker Alfonso Nebot managing investments, and former Barca employee Pau Negre handling international commercial work.
Following high-profile moves from Barcelona to PSG and Inter Miami, Messi’s crowning achievement came with Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory—a moment that also marked one of his father’s proudest milestones.
Now competing in a record-breaking sixth World Cup finals in 2026, Messi has hit top form, netting his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.
As he marks his 200th international appearance, matching Miroslav Klose as the joint-top scorer in World Cup history, his father Jorge remains at the forefront of his mind.
Every time Messi scores, his thoughts will likely now turn to his dad as he looks to secure back-to-back world titles and break the all-time scoring record. —Sun.
