Jorge Messi, father and longtime agent of Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, died Saturday at Sanatorio Centro, a medical center in Rosario, Argentina. He was 68. The hospital's medical director confirmed his passing came in the early hours of the morning, adding that no further details about the cause of death would be shared out of respect for the family's privacy.
Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario club where a young Lionel first played before moving to Europe, announced that Jorge had been undergoing treatment for an unspecified illness in recent months. The club described him as the steady presence who, alongside his wife Celia Cuccittini, supported his son's rise with vision and care.
A Health Struggle Kept Quiet Through the World Cup
Concerns about Jorge's health first became public during this year's World Cup in North America, when Lionel grew visibly emotional after scoring in Argentina's opening match against Algeria. He later told reporters the emotion had nothing to do with football itself, describing recent weeks as difficult and complicated. The family had pushed back on premature rumors of his death at the time and asked for privacy while he received care.
The Man Behind the Career
Jorge worked as a steelworker and chemical technician before soccer took over the family's life. He'd played as a midfielder in Newell's youth ranks himself before military service cut his own playing days short. It was Jorge who traveled with a teenage Lionel to Barcelona in the early 2000s for the trial that opened the doors to La Masia, the club's famed academy, and he went on to manage his son's business affairs for two decades as Lionel won eight Ballon d'Or awards and led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title.
Tributes Across the Football World
The Argentine Football Association ordered a minute of silence at matches nationwide, with players, coaches and referees wearing black armbands and flags lowered at AFA facilities. Barcelona thanked Jorge for entrusting the club with his son's formative years, while Real Madrid and clubs across Europe sent condolences to the family.
Jorge is survived by his wife Celia and his four children — Rodrigo, Matías, Lionel and María Sol. The loss comes just weeks after Argentina's latest World Cup campaign, and as Lionel Messi was set to return to Inter Miami's Leagues Cup fixture against Monterrey this weekend.