Jorge Messi, le père et agent de Lionel Messi, est mort à l'âge de 68 ans

Jorge Messi, the father and long-time agent of Lionel Messi, died on Friday, August 7, 2026, at the age of 68 in a clinic in Rosario, Argentina, according to local media and regional clubs cited by outlets including Leparisien and lenouvelliste.ca.

His passing followed a long illness that had weighed heavily on the family in recent months, as reported by leparisien.fr and RMC Sport via Actu. While local outlets such as *Infobae* and *Olé*, alongside clubs and continental governing bodies, announced the death, Goal noted that the Messi family had not yet published an official personal statement confirming the news.

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Jorge Messi's influence on his son's career was foundational. A chemical technician and steelworker who had played youth football for Newell's Old Boys before mandatory military service cut short his playing ambitions, he served as his son's first coach in Argentina. In the early 2000s, Jorge accompanied the young Lionel to Spain for the trial that opened the doors to Barcelona's La Masia academy, according to Lenouvelliste.

Recalling those difficult early days in a 2007 interview with *Radio del Plata*, Lionel Messi noted that both father and son would occasionally retreat to separate rooms to weep in private while keeping up appearances, culminating in Jorge offering his son the choice to stay or return home. Beyond his early paternal support, Jorge functioned as his son's professional representative and business manager. He negotiated contracts with Barcelona, managed subsequent transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, and oversaw image rights and investments spanning real estate, hospitality, and dining, as detailed by lenouvelliste.ca. Actu noted that Jorge also served as a critical sounding board with whom the player evaluated his performances after matches, driving him to continually surpass himself.

The toll of Jorge's declining health became publicly visible during Argentina's recent campaign at the 2026 World Cup. Following the team's opening match against Algeria, Lionel Messi broke down in tears after scoring, later explaining that his emotion stemmed from non-sporting reasons, as recalled by Leparisien and lenouvelliste.ca. The tournament had already stirred controversy in Argentina after premature media reports regarding Jorge's health provoked sharp pushback from the family, who issued a statement condemning the speculation and emphasizing the private nature of the matter.

In the wake of Friday's announcements, tributes poured in across South American and European football. The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) issued a statement expressing profound sorrow and offering respect and affection to Lionel and his relatives. Regionally, Rosario Central and French club Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 championship operations shared messages of condolence and solidarity with the family, according to Goal and Actu.

A Legacy Forged in Rosario and Beyond

Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario club where both father and son hold deep roots, honored Jorge as a lifelong supporter and the architect of the player's career. In a public statement reported by Goal, the club praised him alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini, for providing the vision, discipline, and affection that sustained Lionel from his earliest steps at Malvinas to the summit of world football.

Despite those tensions surrounding health reporting during the World Cup, Jorge's professional footprint remained vast. Alongside his managerial duties handling image rights and multi-club contracts, Lenouvelliste noted that both father and son faced legal scrutiny in Spain, receiving a conviction for tax fraud in the year 2016 that ultimately avoided prison time because the sentence fell under two years. Beyond contracts and courts, his oversight extended deeply into athletic development. As reported by actu.fr referencing a 2022 interview with *DirecTV Sports*, Lionel Messi frequently acknowledged that his father acted as his harshest post-match critic, a demanding sounding board whose unrelenting expectations pushed the player to continually surpass himself.

• Jorge Messi served as Lionel's first coach in Argentina and accompanied him to his early trial at Barcelona's La Masia.
• He managed professional contracts, image rights, and investments spanning real estate, hospitality, and dining.
• Both father and son received a 2016 tax fraud conviction in Spain that avoided prison time due to sentences under two years.

As tributes continued to circulate from continental bodies and clubs including Rosario Central, attention remained fixed on whether the Messi family would issue an official personal statement to confirm the loss following the announcements made by regional outlets, clubs, and sports organizations.