Jorge Messi, father and long-time representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68, according to Argentine media outlet Infobae, as reported by MARCA on Saturday.
Jorge reportedly died at about 10pm on Friday at a sanatorium in Rosario, Argentina, following a prolonged illness.
He was married to Celia Cuccittini, with whom he had four children — Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias and Maria Sol. Jorge played a pivotal role in his son’s rise from a promising youngster at Newell’s Old Boys to one of the most celebrated footballers in history.
He was particularly instrumental in helping Lionel access the growth hormone treatment he required as a child. After efforts to secure the treatment in Argentina proved unsuccessful, Jorge helped facilitate his son’s move to Barcelona when Lionel was 13.
Jorge remained with his son in Spain during the early and challenging stages of his European career, while the rest of the family stayed in Rosario.
Reflecting on that period in a 2007 interview, Messi recalled how his father gave him the choice of continuing his football journey in Spain or returning home.
“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi said.
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.”
That decision proved crucial as Messi went on to establish himself at Barcelona and become one of the most decorated players in football history.
Jorge later became a key figure in managing his son’s affairs off the pitch, including negotiations with major international brands.
Despite his influential role in Messi’s career, Jorge largely kept a low profile and rarely spoke publicly.
In one of his interviews, he reflected on the challenges the family had overcome and expressed his pride in his son.
“You know very well that we have gone through many good and not-so-good moments,” Jorge said.
He added that those experiences had strengthened the family and said that, beyond Lionel’s achievements as a footballer, he considered his son “an excellent person”.
Jorge’s health became a subject of public attention during the 2026 World Cup after Messi became emotional following Argentina’s opening match.
After scoring a hat-trick, Messi was asked about his reaction and said: “It is for a reason completely unrelated to sport. I had some difficult, complicated days.”
Asked subsequently about the family situation, he said: “The truth is, more than anything, because of the family.”
The Messi family later said Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents”.
Before dedicating himself to managing his son’s career, Jorge trained as a chemical technician and began working at Acindar, an Argentine steel company, in the 1980s, eventually rising to a managerial position.
He also had a connection to football in his youth, playing as a midfielder in Newell’s Old Boys’ youth system before leaving the sport after being called up for military service.
