Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and longtime agent, dies at 68

Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and longtime agent, died at 68 in Rosario, Argentina, after a long illness, the hospital that treated him said. Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys later announced his death on social media and said he had undergone treatment in recent months for an unspecified illness.

Jorge Messi was a constant presence at Lionel Messi’s matches and a central figure in the player’s rise from Rosario to global superstardom. Beyond being the father of one of soccer’s most decorated players, he served for years as Lionel Messi’s agent and business manager, helping steer decisions as the forward built a career that stretched from Argentina to Europe and then to Inter Miami.

His role was especially visible around Lionel Messi’s biggest milestones. BBC Sport noted that Jorge Messi helped his son win the Ballon d’Or a record eight times and was present when Argentina captured the 2022 World Cup, a tournament in which Lionel Messi was named best player. Those moments turned Jorge Messi into part of the family dynamic that helped define modern soccer’s most influential personal and professional partnership.

The family had said in June that Jorge Messi was recovering from a health issue under medical supervision and that his condition was improving. His death at a medical clinic in Rosario ended that period of uncertainty and closed a long chapter in the management of Lionel Messi’s career.

For years, Jorge Messi worked mostly behind the scenes while his son became the face of Argentina’s national football team and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. The scale of Lionel Messi’s success made the father-son relationship more than a family story, placing Jorge Messi at the center of the business and personal decisions that followed the player from Rosario to the top of international sport.