Buenos aires: Lionel Messi, the 39-year-old captain of the Argentinian national team, has revealed that he is hesitant about continuing his playing career after the passing of his father, Jorge Messi, last week.
According to Thai News Agency, Jorge Messi, father of the Argentine football star, died at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina, after a long illness. Messi expressed his uncertainty about his future in professional football, posting a heartfelt message on Instagram. He wrote, "I don't know how I'll live without my father. I don't know how I'll move forward. I've played football my whole life, and now I have many doubts about how much longer I'll be able to play."
Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, also shared that his decision to participate in the last World Cup, where Argentina finished as runners-up, was influenced by his father's wishes. "My father always asked me if I wanted him to play in one last World Cup, and a few days before the tournament started, his condition worsened. It was the first time he wouldn't be in the tournament. Every time the tournament ended, I would wait and hope for a message from him, which made me realize the real situation," Messi explained.
Before concluding his message, Messi reflected on the impact his father had on his life, stating, "I will miss my father very much, but he will always be with me, especially in raising my children, because I will teach and raise them the same way he raised me."