Jorge Messi, father and longtime manager of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68, as reported by MARCA citing Argentine outlet Infobae.
He passed away around 10 p.m. on Friday at a medical facility in Rosario, Argentina, following a prolonged illness.
Married to Celia Cuccittini, Jorge was a father of four—Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol. He played a pivotal role in shaping his son’s career from his early days at Newell’s Old Boys into a global football icon, famously securing the vital growth hormone treatment Lionel needed as a child.
After unsuccessful attempts to secure medical treatment in Argentina, Jorge Messi facilitated his son’s move to Barcelona when Lionel was just 13 years old.
He relocated to Spain alongside the young prodigy to navigate the demanding early years of his European career, while the rest of the family remained behind in Rosario.
Reflecting on that pivotal period in a 2007 interview, Lionel recalled how his father sat him down and asked whether he wanted to keep fighting for his dream in Spain or return home.
“My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi recalled.
He added, “My old man asked me, what do you want to do, do you want to continue or shall we go back? I wanted to continue and he stayed with me.”
Backstory…
That decision marked a critical turning point in Messi’s career, paving the way for his legendary tenure at Barcelona and his ultimate rise as one of the most decorated footballers in history.
Beyond his sporting guidance, Jorge managed his son’s off-pitch business affairs, negotiating lucrative endorsement deals with global corporations.
Despite his monumental influence on Lionel’s career, Jorge consistently shunned the spotlight, granting only a handful of media interviews over the years.
In one of those rare appearances, conducted just as Lionel was emerging as a global icon, he shared a poignant, emotional message for his son.
He added that those terrible situations had helped to strengthen the family and reminded his son that, in addition to being a brilliant football player, Lionel was “an excellent person”.
Jorge’s condition received attention during the 2026 World Cup because Lionel became emotional following Argentina’s first match.
The Messi family later stated that Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents.”
Jorge was trained as a chemical technician before starting work at Acindar, an Argentine steel business, in the 1980s, eventually becoming a manager.
