Lionel Messi has raised doubts about how much longer he will continue playing football following the death of his father and longtime agent, Jorge Messi, after a period of illness.
The 39-year-old Argentina captain shared an emotional tribute on Wednesday after returning to the United States following his father’s funeral, saying the loss had left him questioning his future in the sport.
“All I ever did was play football, and now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer,” Messi wrote on Instagram.
Jorge Messi, who was 68, had served as his son’s agent since his teenage years and remained closely involved throughout a career that took Messi from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami.
Messi remains under contract with the Major League Soccer club through the end of the 2028 season.
His comments follow Argentina’s 1-0 defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, where the defending champions fell short of retaining the title they won in Qatar in 2022.
Messi subsequently returned to Inter Miami before his father’s death prompted him to travel home with his family.
Jorge Messi’s absence from the World Cup had already drawn attention, with Messi’s family asking the media for “humanity” amid speculation about his health.
During the tournament, Messi became emotional after scoring against Algeria and acknowledged he was dealing with circumstances unrelated to football.
Messi later said his father’s wish that he compete in one final World Cup had been a major reason for his participation.
He said he had hoped Argentina would reach the final in time for his father to travel, but Jorge was ultimately unable to attend.
Messi also said he had struggled physically during the tournament and could not push beyond his limits in the final.
A private funeral was held Sunday in Perez, near Rosario, attended by close family members and several Argentina teammates.
No official cause of death was disclosed.
Messi said his father’s influence would remain central to how he raises his own children.