Jorge Messi, father and long-time representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68, MARCA reported on Saturday, citing Argentine news medium Infobae.

An independent check by PUNCH Online on Infobae and multiple other media sources disclosed that Jorge died at about 10 pm on Friday at a sanatorium in Rosario, Argentina, following a prolonged illness.

Jorge, who was married to Celia Cuccittini and had four children, Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol, played a major role in his son’s rise from a young player at Newell’s Old Boys to one of football’s biggest stars.

He was particularly instrumental in securing medical treatment for Lionel when the youngster required growth hormone therapy.

After efforts to secure the treatment in Argentina proved unsuccessful, Jorge helped arrange his son’s move to Barcelona at the age of 13.

He later stayed with Lionel in Spain during the early and difficult stages of his European adventure while the rest of the family remained in Rosario.

Recalling that period in a 2007 interview, Lionel said his father had asked whether he wanted to continue pursuing his dream in Spain or return home.

“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi recalled.

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 became a defining moment in the footballer’s career as Messi went on to establish himself at Barcelona and eventually become one of the most decorated players in football history.

Jorge also became a key figure in managing his son’s affairs away from the pitch, including negotiations with major global brands.

Despite his prominent role in Messi’s career, Jorge largely avoided the spotlight and gave only a handful of interviews over the years.

In one of those interviews, he delivered an emotional message to his son as Lionel was beginning to emerge as a global football star.

“You know very well that we have gone through many good and not-so-good moments,” Jorge said.

He added that those difficult experiences had helped strengthen the family and told his son that, beyond being a great footballer, he believed Lionel was “an excellent person”.

Jorge’s health had attracted attention during the 2026 World Cup after Lionel 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 later about the family situation, Messi said, “The truth is, more than anything, because of the family.”

The Messi family subsequently said Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents”.

Jorge was trained as a chemical technician and began working at Acindar, an Argentine steel company, in the 1980s, eventually becoming a manager.

He had also pursued football as a youngster, playing as a midfielder in Newell’s youth system before leaving the sport after being called up for military service.

His death marks the loss of a figure who remained largely behind the scenes but was central to the development and management of Lionel Messi’s extraordinary career.(PUNCH)

Update news