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Lionel Messi issues first public reaction after father Jorge's death: ‘Wanted to win the FIFA World Cup final for you'
Lionel Messi penned a long note on Instagram after his father Jorge died last week. Here's what the Argentine superstar said.
Lionel Messi, the Argentine star, issued his first public statement on Wednesday after his father, Jorge Messi, died last week. According to Reuters, Jorge died at a medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. He was battling illness for a long time and had been in poor health in the last few months. Ever since his father's passing, Messi had remained silent. There were also reports that the 2022 World Cup-winning star took an indefinite break from the sport following the tragic development.
However, Messi took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a picture with his father, and also penned a lengthy statement on the platform. In his statement, Messi explained that it was his father who wanted him to play the FIFA World Cup for one last time in the US.
Messi, who ended his FIFA World Cup drought in 2022, also explained that his father thought Argentina lost the latest tournament on penalties. He also explained that he waited for his father's message after every game in the 48-team tournament and was left heartbroken when none came.
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“Pa, I still can't believe you're gone. It's very hard for me to imagine that I'm not going to see you anymore, that we're not going to talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that it's for the best, but you have gone too early. We still had a lot to enjoy together. You were asking me so much to play in the last World Cup, and days before it started, you got worse. It was the first time you weren't going to be in a tournament,” Messi wrote on Instagram.
“Every time a game ended, I expected and missed your message. I realised that the situation was really ugly. Still, I kept thinking to get as far as possible, to give you time to watch a game. We got to the final, and you couldn't be there. We made it to the final, and you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it so I could bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t; my legs had nothing left. When I arrived, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We could not talk about anything that happened. You couldn't enjoy anything,” he added.
‘Don’t know'
Messi also added that he is deeply saddened and can't imagine how he will go on without his biggest support system. In the end, the star striker said he would try to give his children the same value his father gave him.
The 39-year-old also added that he doesn't know how he will continue playing as his biggest motivator is no longer going to be there.
“I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to go on. I was just playing football, and now I have a lot of doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for a long time. You were by my side from the beginning, and there was so little missing to the end. Why didn't you take that little bit longer, and we would have ended up together?” wrote Messi.
"You were a dad, friend and representative. You were always the person you had to be at every moment, and you were never wrong about anything. Beyond some reproaches or quarrels, you were always right. In the end, it turned out as you were saying. I will miss you very much, but you will always be present, and especially in the education of my children, because I teach and educate them as you did with me. Rest in peace and take care of us from above as you did here. Thanks for everything. I love you, pa, he added.
In an Instagram Story, Messi also thanked the fans for showing their support and showering love in what has been a difficult time for the family.
It is worth mentioning that during the World Cup, where Argentina lost the final to Spain, Messi broke down after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria. Speaking at the press conference later, Messi said that the tears were caused by “something unrelated to football”.
