Argentina superstar and inspiration behind his country's 2022 World Cup victory Lionel Messi said Wednesday he has "serious doubts" about continuing to play football for "much longer" after the death of his father Jorge Messi.
"I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to go on. I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer," Messi, 39, wrote in a message on social media after his father, who was also his agent, died last week aged 68.
In the message, Messi, whose contract with Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami runs till the end of the 2028 season, reflected on the final months of his father's life, which coincided with the 2026 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 loss to Spain in the final in New Jersey.
Messi highlighted his father's pivotal role in his life and 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 unusual absence from the World Cup in June had already attracted attention.
Messi's family asked the media for "humanity" during the tournament amid persistent rumours over Jorge's health.
After bursting into tears after scoring against Algeria in a group match, Messi had admitted to dealing with "a situation outside of sports".
On Sunday, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner bid farewell to his father during a private ceremony with close family and a few Argentina teammates in the town of Perez, adjacent to Rosario.
The cause of death was not disclosed, but local media reported that Jorge Messi had been suffering from cancer.
