Jorge Messi dies at 68 in Rosario after long illness
Has died at 68 in Rosario after a long illness, leaving Lionel Messi and the family mourning a man who helped shape his career from the start.
ROSARIO — Jorge Messi, the father of Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina, after a long illness. Argentine and Spanish outlets reported his death on Friday night, with reports placing the time at around 22.00 local time.
The loss hits one of football’s most closely watched families at a personal level, while also closing a chapter in the story of Lionel Messi’s rise from Rosario to Barcelona and beyond. At the time of publication, the Messi family had not released an official statement.
Jorge Messi and Lionel Messi’s rise
Jorge Messi was more than a family figure in the background. He was a central presence in Lionel’s early career, helping move his son to Europe when Argentine clubs would not finance treatment for Lionel’s growth condition.
That decision later led to the famous napkin contract with FC Barcelona. It was a small piece of paper, but a huge turning point. The agreement helped set Lionel on the path to becoming Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer and, in the words of one source, arguably the sport’s greatest player.
Reports describe Jorge as a businessman and agent who handled many of Lionel’s off-field responsibilities. He was also portrayed as a quiet, constant figure around his son’s career, rarely stepping into the spotlight but often present at key moments.
He is survived by his wife, Celia Cuccittini, and children Lionel, Rodrigo, Matías and María Sol, along with grandchildren.
Family pain reaches beyond football
The timing matters because Jorge’s health had already been the subject of reports during the World Cup, when Lionel Messi’s emotional displays drew attention. During that tournament, former Argentina teammate Juan Pablo Sorin asked Messi about his tears.
“Tears for the family, for your family, and for this other family that is the National Team, right?” Sorin asked.
Messi replied: “Yes, yes... The truth is that for the family more than anything. Because, well, it’s always there, it’s always there. Now we are in a difficult moment. So many things came together, but obviously also because of them - a spectacular group that supports me - it makes me happy,” Messi answered.
Days after that exchange, the Messi family released a statement saying Jorge had been “under medical monitoring, recovering and evolving favorably within the condition he presents.”
Now, the family faces a far harder reality. Jorge Messi died in his hometown, the place that remained tied to the family even as Lionel’s career took him across Europe and onto the world stage.
For Barcelona, for Argentina and for Messi supporters, the news lands with unusual force. It is the loss of a man who stayed mostly out of frame, but helped shape one of football’s defining careers from the beginning. The napkin deal at the Pompeia Tennis Club, signed on December 14, 2000, remains part of that story — and now the family is left with the memory of the man who helped make it possible.
