Messi's tearful farewell letter to his father deeply moves fans

After the death of his father, Lionel Messi shared his innermost feelings for the first time about the person who accompanied him from a young age, particularly recalling the World Cup that Jorge had always hoped to witness his son compete in.

"Dad, I still can't believe you're gone." Lionel Messi began his farewell post to his father, Jorge Messi, with a painful statement. The Argentine superstar admitted he finds it hard to imagine that from now on he will no longer be able to see or talk to the father who has been by his side since the early days of his football career.

"I can't accept it—or rather, I don't want to accept it. It's very difficult for me to picture that from now on I won't be able to see you, won't be able to talk to you anymore." Messi understands that his father endured much pain and that passing away was perhaps the best outcome, but he still feels haunted because Jorge left too soon, when there were still many journeys they had yet to share together.

Messi especially recalled the last World Cup he participated in, a tournament Jorge had often hoped his son would play in. Just a few days before the event began, his father's health deteriorated severely. Messi still hoped his father would recover and come to watch him play, even saying that Argentina would reach the final so that he could come. But in the end, that never happened.

After every match, Messi waited for a message from his father and gradually realized the seriousness of the situation. Even so, he tried to go as far as possible so that Jorge would have more time and opportunity to see a game. Argentina reached the final, but his father could not be there. Messi wanted to win so he could bring the trophy home to his father, but his body would not allow him to do so.

"When I came back, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn't talk about everything that happened. You couldn't enjoy any of it." Messi regrets that the father and son no longer had the chance to talk about the World Cup journey together. He also feels pained remembering the time when his father was still waiting to see him play.

"You were there with me from the very first day, yet we were just a little short of making it to the end. Why couldn't you hold on just a bit longer, so we could finish this journey together?" This is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking messages Messi has left for his father, clearly expressing his regret that they were only a short distance away from being reunited.

In Messi's memory, Jorge was not only a father but also a friend and his agent. He would take his son to training right after work, while on many days his mother had to fill in due to work. Jorge almost never missed a match and was always nervous and excited watching his son play, even though he rarely gave Messi too much praise.

"You were both a father, a friend, and my agent. You always knew how to be what was needed in every situation and never got anything wrong." Messi admitted that the two of them had arguments and disagreements, but in the end, things always turned out exactly as Jorge had said.

According to Argentine media, Jorge Messi passed away at 10 p.m. on August 7 at a hospital in Rosario, at the age of 68. He had supported Messi during difficult times in his childhood, pushing for his move to Spain for treatment and to join Barcelona. Later, Jorge handled most of his son's off-field affairs, from Barcelona to PSG and Inter Miami.

Jorge's health had been mentioned by the family in June after many rumors surfaced. The family stated that he was under medical supervision and recovering, and expressed displeasure over the speculation. The specific illness was not disclosed. Also in June, Messi broke down crying after scoring for Argentina, saying the previous days had been very difficult due to family matters.

Closing his post, Messi affirmed that his father will continue to be present in his life, especially through the way he raises his children. "I will miss you very much, but you will always be present in my life, and above all, in the way I educate my children." For Messi, Jorge was not just the father behind his career but also the one who accompanied him from the very beginning until he reached the pinnacle of the world.