Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the sport, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup champion whose career has been closely guided from its earliest days by his father, Jorge Messi. In the last few hours, the football world has received devastating news: Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father and longtime agent, has passed away at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina, following a long illness. Fans searching for Lionel Messi Height, Weight, Age, Body Measurement, Wife, DOB want the full picture, and here we’ve put together his complete profile along with everything known so far about this deeply personal loss.
Lionel was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, and rose from humble beginnings to become the sport’s most decorated player, a journey that was shaped decisively by his father’s early sacrifices and steady guidance both on and off the pitch throughout his entire career.
Lionel Messi Full Profile
Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of Birth: June 24, 1987
Birth Place: Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Lionel Messi Profession: Professional Footballer, Inter Miami CF and Argentina National Team
Nationality: Argentine
Religion: Roman Catholic
Lionel Messi Wife: Antonela Roccuzzo, whom he married in 2017
Lionel Messi Horoscope: Cancer
Lionel Messi Age: 39
Lionel Messi Body Measurements: Chest 36 Inches, Waist 28 Inches
Lionel Messi Weight: 67 KG (approximately 148 lbs)
Lionel Messi Height: 5 Feet 7 Inches (170 cm)
Body Type: Athletic/Lean
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Breaking News: Jorge Messi, Lionel’s Father and Agent, Dies at 68
Jorge Horacio Messi, Lionel’s father and the man who guided his son’s football career from its earliest days in Rosario to the pinnacle of the sport, has died at the age of 68. According to reports from Infobae and other major Argentine outlets, Jorge passed away Friday night at around 10 p.m. in a hospital in his native Rosario, following what’s been described as a long illness. An official statement from the Messi family was still pending as of the most recent reporting, though numerous major outlets in Argentina and Spain, including La Nación and Olé, have confirmed the news.
Jorge’s boyhood football club, Newell’s Old Boys — the same club where a young Lionel first began playing — paid tribute on social media, writing: “With deep sorrow and grief, Newell’s Old Boys bids farewell to Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 in the city of Rosario. Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor, and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini. His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel, from his beginnings at Malvinas to the pinnacle of world football glory.”
The Health Scare That Foreshadowed This Moment
Jorge’s passing follows months of mounting concern about his health that first became public during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In June, Lionel was visibly emotional after scoring for Argentina, and when asked about it afterward, he responded pointedly: “Why was I crying? It had absolutely nothing to do with football. I have had a few difficult days,” a comment that immediately sparked intense speculation linking his emotional state to his father’s condition.
That speculation prompted the Messi family to issue a public statement at the time, confirming that Jorge was “currently dealing with health problems” and “under medical supervision,” while stating he was “recovering well.” The statement continued: “Given the reports, rumours and speculation that have been circulating in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep concern about the lack of sensitivity” surrounding the coverage, and asked that “the privacy, confidentiality and personal space of Jorge — and that of his entire family — be respected throughout this process.”
Notably, rumors of Jorge’s death had actually already begun circulating during the World Cup itself, months before his actual passing, forcing the family to address the situation publicly even as they withheld the specific nature of his diagnosis. At the end of July, Lionel skipped that year’s MLS All-Star Game, presumably to spend time with his father, before returning to Inter Miami action just days later — a decision that, in retrospect, now reads as one of the clearest signs of how seriously the family understood Jorge’s condition to be in his final weeks.
Who Was Jorge Messi? The Man Behind Football’s Greatest Career
Jorge Horacio Messi was far more than simply Lionel’s father — he was, by nearly every account, the single most important figure behind the construction and management of the greatest individual career in modern football history. A steelworker by trade in Rosario, Jorge recognized his son’s extraordinary talent early and made the pivotal, life-altering decision that would ultimately define both their lives: when Lionel was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child, and Argentine clubs proved unwilling or unable to finance the costly treatment he needed, Jorge made the bold decision to move the family to Europe in search of a club willing to support his son’s development and medical needs.
That decision led directly to one of the most famous moments in football business history: FC Barcelona’s sporting director, impressed by a trial with the then-13-year-old Lionel, reportedly had no contract paper immediately available and instead wrote out an agreement to sign him on a paper napkin — a legendary story that’s become deeply woven into the mythology of Messi’s rise from Rosario to global superstardom. Jorge personally accompanied his son through those formative, difficult early years in Barcelona, providing steady support during a period of major upheaval and homesickness for the young player.
Jorge’s Role as Manager of Lionel’s Career and Finances
Beyond his role as a supportive father during Lionel’s childhood, Jorge went on to formally manage his son’s professional and financial affairs throughout the entirety of his football career, functioning as his primary agent and representative in nearly every major contract negotiation, sponsorship deal, and business decision across more than two decades at the top of the sport. That arrangement made Jorge one of the most influential behind-the-scenes figures in modern football, despite his consistent preference for staying out of the media spotlight that constantly followed his globally famous son.
That off-field partnership wasn’t without its complications: Lionel and Jorge both faced legal proceedings in Spain over tax fraud charges related to the management of Lionel’s image rights, a case that became one of the more significant off-field controversies of Messi’s career during his years at Barcelona. The two ultimately resolved the matter with suspended sentences, a chapter that, while serious, did little to diminish Jorge’s central, trusted role in managing his son’s affairs in the years that followed.
A Private Man Who Avoided the Spotlight
Despite managing the business affairs of arguably the most famous athlete on the planet, Jorge was consistently described as someone who preferred to keep a notably low profile, largely avoiding extensive media interviews or public commentary even as his son’s fame reached unprecedented global heights. That preference for privacy is part of why the Messi family’s earlier statement about his health specifically emphasized their desire for confidentiality and respect for their personal space — a value Jorge appeared to hold consistently throughout his life, even while occupying such a central, influential role in one of the most publicly documented careers in sports history.
Those who knew him described his presence as a steady, constant one throughout Lionel’s rise — someone whose influence was felt far more than it was publicly seen, guiding critical decisions from behind the scenes rather than in front of cameras or in press conferences.
How the Football World Is Reacting
News of Jorge’s passing has begun generating an outpouring of tribute and condolence across the football world, beginning with Newell’s Old Boys, the club both Jorge and a young Lionel supported and where Lionel’s own footballing journey first began. Further tributes from clubs, teammates, and football institutions across Argentina, Spain, and the broader international football community are expected to follow as the news continues to spread and the Messi family prepares to issue what’s anticipated to be a fuller official statement addressing his passing and any funeral or memorial arrangements.
Given Jorge’s central, decades-long role in shaping the career of the sport’s most decorated player, his death is expected to generate a substantial and sustained wave of tributes from current and former players, coaches, and football organizations who either worked directly with him or whose careers intersected with Lionel’s over the more than two decades Jorge spent managing his son’s professional life.
What This Loss Means for Lionel Messi
For Lionel personally, his father’s death represents the loss of not just a parent, but the individual most singularly responsible for the entire framework of his professional career — the person who made the initial sacrifice to move the family to Europe, who stood beside him through the difficult early adjustment to life at Barcelona, and who subsequently managed nearly every major business and contractual decision of his career for more than two decades. Few professional athletes have had a single family member so completely intertwined with both their personal upbringing and their professional business affairs simultaneously, making Jorge’s role in Lionel’s life almost uniquely all-encompassing compared to the more typical separation between family life and professional management most athletes maintain.
That dual role — father and agent, family figure and business manager — means Lionel’s loss carries a depth and complexity that extends well beyond typical grief, touching virtually every dimension of both his personal life and his professional career simultaneously.
Messi’s Career Achievements That Jorge Helped Build
Understanding the scale of what Jorge helped build requires understanding just how extraordinary his son’s career ultimately became. Lionel has won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, more than any player in football history, alongside numerous domestic and continental titles during his years at FC Barcelona, where he became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. He capped his international career with Argentina by finally winning the FIFA World Cup in 2022, a long-sought achievement that completed his legacy as one of the sport’s most complete and decorated players, before continuing his career with Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer, where he’s continued playing at a high level well into his late thirties.
Every major milestone across that extraordinary career — the initial move to Barcelona, the early contract negotiations, the sponsorship deals that helped build his massive off-field commercial empire — bore Jorge’s direct involvement and guidance, making his death not just a personal loss for the Messi family, but the end of an era for one of the most successful and enduring father-son partnerships in the history of professional sports.
Lionel Messi’s Family Life: Antonela Roccuzzo and Their Sons
Lionel has been married to Antonela Roccuzzo, a childhood friend from Rosario, since 2017, and the couple share three sons together: Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro. Antonela and Lionel’s relationship traces back to their early childhood in Rosario, giving their marriage a deeply rooted connection to the same hometown where Jorge first recognized his son’s footballing talent and where Jorge ultimately passed away. That shared Rosario connection means Jorge’s death touches not just Lionel individually, but the broader extended family network that’s remained closely tied to their hometown roots even as Lionel’s career carried them across Barcelona, Paris, and eventually Miami.
Antonela has remained a steady, largely private presence throughout Lionel’s career, generally avoiding the kind of extensive media spotlight that follows her husband, a preference for privacy that reportedly mirrored Jorge’s own approach to public life despite the family’s immense global fame.
The Barcelona Years: How Jorge Shaped Messi’s Rise
Jorge’s decision to relocate the family from Rosario to Barcelona in 2000, when Lionel was just 13 years old, remains one of the most consequential parental decisions in modern sports history. Beyond simply securing the medical treatment Lionel needed for his growth hormone condition, the move placed him directly within FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, widely regarded as one of the most successful player development systems in world football. Jorge navigated the extraordinarily difficult transition of uprooting his entire family to a foreign country, managing the logistics, homesickness, and cultural adjustment that came with the move, all while his son worked to establish himself within one of the most competitive youth academies in world football.
That period required Jorge to balance multiple demanding roles simultaneously: supporting his son emotionally through a genuinely difficult adjustment period, managing the family’s practical relocation and finances, and beginning to navigate the business side of what would eventually become one of the most valuable individual sports careers in history. Lionel has spoken in past interviews about how difficult those early Barcelona years were, and how central his father’s steady presence was in helping him push through the isolation and cultural adjustment of those formative seasons.
Messi’s Statistical Legacy Across Two Decades
The career Jorge helped build and manage stands among the most statistically dominant in football history. Across his time at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and now Inter Miami, Lionel has scored well over 850 career goals for club and country combined, a tally that places him among the very small handful of players in the sport’s history to approach or exceed that mark. His eight Ballon d’Or awards remain unmatched by any other player, and his trophy collection includes numerous La Liga titles, multiple UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona, and finally the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina — a achievement many considered the final, missing piece needed to cement his legacy as the greatest player of his generation, if not the greatest of all time.
Every major contract renegotiation and transfer throughout that two-decade span — his eventual free transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 amid the Catalan club’s well-documented financial difficulties, and his subsequent move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in 2023 — bore Jorge’s direct involvement as his son’s agent and representative, meaning the business architecture behind nearly every major turn of Messi’s career carried his father’s fingerprints.
The Tax Case: A Complicated Chapter in Their Partnership
The 2016 Spanish tax fraud case involving both Lionel and Jorge remains one of the more legally significant chapters of their business partnership. Spanish prosecutors alleged the pair had used offshore shell companies to conceal income from Lionel’s image rights, resulting in unpaid taxes during his years at Barcelona. Both were convicted, receiving suspended prison sentences and substantial fines, a legal outcome that, while serious, ultimately did little to derail Lionel’s on-field career or the broader trust underpinning his professional partnership with his father.
That case offered one of the relatively rare public windows into the financial and business side of the father-son partnership that otherwise operated largely outside public view, given both men’s shared preference for keeping the details of Lionel’s business affairs private wherever possible.
Messi’s Move to Inter Miami and Continued Excellence
Jorge remained actively involved in his son’s career management right through Lionel’s move to Inter Miami CF in July 2023, a transfer that reshaped the landscape of Major League Soccer and American professional football almost overnight. That move, like every major transfer before it, involved extensive contract and business negotiations that Jorge helped oversee, extending his decades-long role as his son’s primary representative right through what’s widely understood to be the final major chapter of Lionel’s playing career.
Lionel’s continued high level of play with Inter Miami, including his participation in the delayed 2026 World Cup cycle with Argentina, meant Jorge remained actively engaged in his son’s professional life and business affairs right up until his health prevented him from continuing that role in his final months.
Rosario: The Hometown That Shaped Both Their Lives
Jorge’s passing in Rosario carries particular symbolic weight given the city’s central role in the entire Messi family story. Rosario is where Lionel was born, where he first began playing football in the streets and at Newell’s Old Boys’ youth academy, and where Jorge worked as a steelworker before his son’s talent set the family on an entirely different life path. Despite the family’s eventual relocation to Barcelona and Lionel’s subsequent decades spent living and playing across Europe and now the United States, Rosario has remained a consistent touchstone throughout the family’s story, with Jorge’s return there in his final months, and his passing in one of the city’s hospitals, closing the family’s story in the same place where it began.
That full-circle connection to Rosario is likely to feature prominently in the tributes and coverage expected to follow in the coming days, given how deeply the city is woven into the broader mythology of Messi’s rise from a young boy with a growth hormone condition to the most decorated player in football history.
What Comes Next: Funeral Arrangements and Official Statements
As of the most recent reporting, the Messi family had not yet issued a formal, comprehensive statement addressing Jorge’s passing, with official confirmation still described as pending even as numerous major Argentine and Spanish outlets reported the news based on sources close to the family. Given the family’s consistent preference for privacy throughout Jorge’s health struggles over the preceding months, it’s likely that any formal statement, along with details of funeral or memorial arrangements, will be handled with the same degree of care and privacy the family requested during his earlier health scare over the summer.
Football institutions across Argentina and beyond are widely expected to continue issuing formal tributes in the coming days, extending well beyond Newell’s Old Boys’ initial statement, given Jorge’s decades-long, if largely behind-the-scenes, influence on the sport through his management of the career of its most decorated modern player.
A Legacy Built on Quiet, Steady Support
Perhaps the most fitting way to understand Jorge Messi’s legacy is through the consistent characterization offered by those who knew him: a man who preferred to let his son’s achievements speak for themselves, while his own steady, largely unseen guidance provided the essential foundation underneath nearly every major milestone of one of the greatest careers in football history. From the decision to move to Europe, to the napkin contract that started it all, to two decades of contract negotiations and business management conducted almost entirely out of the public eye, Jorge’s influence on the sport was immense precisely because he so rarely sought public recognition for it.
That quiet, foundational role stands as Jorge Messi’s lasting legacy — not as a public figure in his own right, but as the steady architect working behind one of the most extraordinary football careers the sport has ever seen.
How Fans Around the World Are Responding
Given Lionel Messi’s status as arguably the most globally followed athlete in the world, news of his father’s passing has begun spreading rapidly across social media platforms well beyond Argentina and Spain, with fans from across South America, Europe, Asia, and North America expressing condolences within hours of the first reports emerging. That scale of immediate global reaction reflects the sheer size and devotion of Messi’s worldwide fanbase, built over more than two decades of watching him play at the highest level across multiple continents and leagues.
Many fans have specifically highlighted Jorge’s role in the now-legendary napkin contract story and his decision to move the family to Europe as the foundational moments that made Lionel’s entire career possible, treating his passing not simply as the loss of a public figure’s parent, but as the loss of a figure whose personal sacrifices directly enabled one of the most celebrated athletic careers several generations of football fans have had the privilege of watching unfold in real time.
Quick Recap
Lionel Messi, born June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, is football’s most decorated player, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion standing 5 feet 7 inches tall. In the last few hours, the football world has learned that his father and longtime agent, Jorge Messi, has died at 68 in Rosario following a long illness, months after a health scare that first became public during the 2026 World Cup and prompted the family to request privacy at the time. Jorge’s decision to move the family to Europe as Lionel battled a growth hormone deficiency as a child, followed by his decades-long role managing his son’s professional and financial affairs, made him one of the most quietly influential figures in modern football history. As tributes begin pouring in from Newell’s Old Boys and across the football world, the Messi family is expected to release a fuller official statement in the coming hours regarding Jorge’s passing and any memorial arrangements.
This piece reflects reporting through August 8, 2026, and will be updated as further details from the Messi family become available.