Lionel Messi signals possible retirement after father’s death
Shafaq News- Miami
Lionel Messi on Wednesday cast fresh doubt over how much longer he will continue playing football following the death of his father, Jorge.
The 39-year-old Argentina captain wrote in an Instagram tribute that he did not know how to move forward without his father and questioned whether he would continue playing for much longer. He did not announce his retirement or set a timetable.
Jorge Messi died at 68 in Rosario after a long illness. He accompanied his son throughout his career and served for years as his representative and adviser.
Messi also revealed that one reason he played at the 2026 World Cup was because his father wanted him to, with Argentina eventually finishing runners-up to Spain.
Questions over Messi’s future had already intensified after the tournament, with Argentine Football Association President Claudio Tapia saying on August 8 that the decision over when to retire belonged entirely to the player.
