Messi says not certain to play ‘much longer’ after father’s death

Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi cries during the trophy ceremony at the end of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has hinted that he may soon retire from football following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.

The 39-year-old forward, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, was part of the Argentina team that lost to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in July.

Messi rose to global prominence after progressing through the youth ranks at Spanish giants Barcelona, where he established himself as one of the sport’s most decorated players.

Following Argentina’s World Cup defeat, Messi returned to domestic football in the United States with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. However, his return was cut short after the death of his father at the age of 68.

In a deeply emotional message posted on Wednesday, Messi suggested that he is uncertain about continuing his playing career.

“All I ever did was play football, and now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer,” Messi posted on Instagram.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. I don’t know how to carry on.

“You were by my side from the very beginning; there was so little left until the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?”

Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until the end of the 2028 season. However, speculation about his retirement had already increased after Argentina failed to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar in 2022, when Messi lifted the trophy for the first time.

Reflecting on his father’s final months, Messi revealed that Jorge had hoped to watch him compete in another World Cup.

“I kept telling you we would reach the final so you could make the trip,” said Messi, who returned to the United States on Tuesday night following his father’s funeral on Sunday.

“We made it to the final, but you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t, my legs just gave out.

“This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never felt right,” Messi said in his first comments after the 1-0 defeat by Spain.

Messi also paid tribute to his father, who served as his agent and played a major role in his career.

“You were a father, a friend, and an agent. You were always exactly who you needed to be in every moment, and you never put a foot wrong.”

Jorge Messi’s absence during the World Cup in June had attracted attention, with Messi’s family previously asking the media for “humanity” amid reports about his health.

Messi had also spoken about dealing with personal difficulties during the tournament. After scoring against Algeria in the group stage, he broke down in tears and acknowledged that he was facing “a situation outside of sports”.

The Argentina captain further revealed that one of the main reasons he played at the previous World Cup was because of his father’s wish.

“You always asked me to play in the last World Cup and a few days before it started was when you got worse,” Messi said.

“It was the first time you weren’t going to be at a ⁠tournament … Every time a match ended, I would wait and hope for ⁠your message. That’s when I realised how real the situation was.”

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, said goodbye to his father during a private funeral ceremony on Sunday in Perez, near Rosario, attended by close family members and some of his Argentina teammates.

The cause of Jorge Messi’s death was not disclosed, although local media reported that he had been battling cancer.

Despite his grief, Messi said he would keep his father’s memory alive by passing on the values he learned from him to his own children.

“I’m going to miss ‌you ‌so ‌much, but you will always be present, especially in the upbringing of my children, because I will teach them and raise them the way you raised me,” he said.