Jorge Messi, father and former representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, died on Friday night in Rosario, Argentina. He was 68.
Spanish newspaper MARCA reported the death on Saturday, citing Argentine outlet Infobae. Jorge died at about 10pm local time at a medical facility following a prolonged illness.
He was married to Celia Cuccittini and had four children — Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol.
Jorge played a central role in his son’s rise from childhood, helping the young Lionel access treatment after he was diagnosed with a growth-related medical condition. When the required care proved difficult to secure in Argentina, Jorge facilitated the family’s move to Barcelona when Lionel was 13.
He stayed with his son through the difficult early years in Spain while the rest of the family remained in Rosario. Messi later said his father stood by him through many hard moments and that his father had let him choose whether to continue in Spain or return home — a decision that shaped the course of his career.
As Messi’s profile grew, Jorge took on a larger role managing his son’s business affairs, handling major negotiations and commercial deals while keeping a low public profile and rarely speaking to the press.
Concerns about Jorge’s health surfaced during the 2026 World Cup, after Messi appeared visibly emotional following Argentina’s opening match despite scoring a hat-trick. He later said the emotion stemmed from difficult family circumstances rather than the game itself. The Messi family subsequently confirmed Jorge was under medical supervision.
Before his son’s career took off, Jorge trained as a chemical technician and worked at Argentine steel company Acindar, rising to a managerial role. In his youth, he also played as a midfielder in Newell’s Old Boys’ youth system before military service ended his playing days.
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