Courage Leo, on t'aime": Lionel Messi fait ses adieux à son père, décédé à l'âge de 68 ans

Behind the locked gates of the El Prado cemetery in Pérez, just outside Rosario, a private family farewell unfolded under heavy private security on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Outside the perimeter, however, public grief spilled across the fences. Mourners left handmade signs, floral wreaths, and a number 10 jersey pinned to the iron bars, bearing handwritten pleas of solidarity for a grieving family.

Lionel Messi, alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children, had arrived in Argentina via a private jet from Miami late Saturday evening, heading directly to the site following the death of Jorge Messi at age 68 in a Rosario clinic. While local authorities coordinated police escorts and perimeter closures to shield the mourning family, supporters traveled long distances to pay their respects, embodying a nationwide wave of condolence that swept Argentine football.

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Among those gathered outside the cemetery gates was 15-year-old Lucas Blanco from Pérez, who prepared to hang his own sign. Il a donné tant de joie à ce pays, maintenant c’est à notre tour de lui rendre un peu, de le consoler, he explained, as reported by La Presse. Similarly, a couple named Carlos and Ana traveled 700 kilometers from Tres Arroyos to stand outside the grounds, stating they wanted to accompany Leo through the ordeal, according to coverage by L'Avenir and Rtl.

The loss of Jorge Messi closes a foundational chapter in modern football history. Born in 1958, Jorge worked as a steelworker in Rosario and coached youth teams at the local club Grandoli, where he introduced his son to football on bumpy dirt pitches at the age of four, as detailed by La Presse. His life altered course in the year 2000, when FC Barcelona invited the 13-year-old Lionel to Catalonia for growth-hormone treatment. Jorge left behind his job, wife, and three other children in Argentina to accompany young Lionel to Spain, subsequently serving as his career manager, negotiating astronomical contracts across clubs including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Miami, alongside managing his image rights.

Institutional tributes echoed across South America and Europe following the death, which occurred in the night of Friday to Saturday in a Rosario clinic. While the exact medical cause was not officially communicated, several outlets such as La Presse referenced a cancer, following a family statement in mid-June noting that Jorge was recovering under medical monitoring from a health scare that had visibly weighed on Lionel during prior international competition. Newell's Old Boys, where Jorge once played in the youth ranks, alongside CONMEBOL and the Argentine Football Association (AFA), issued formal condolences, with the AFA ordering a week of moments of silence and black armbands across all categories, as noted by Goal and Malijet.

Teammates also mobilized to offer support. Following club fixtures, players in Argentina and the United States expressed intentions to visit or honor the family, with Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes remarking that a team presence would offer comfort La Presse. Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul dedicated a goal by revealing a number 10 Messi jersey underneath his own kit during a match against Monterrey, according to La Presse and RTL.

As midday arrived on Sunday, security teams dismantled their checkpoints and vehicles departed the El Prado grounds, signaling the conclusion of the private burial. Lionel Messi subsequently returned to his residence in Funes, in a residential gated community in suburban Rosario.

Institutional Mourning and Family Support

According to coverage by Goal.com, Mayor Pablo Javkin stated that municipal authorities stood ready to protect the burial proceedings and maintain strict privacy. Inside the facility, Lionel Messi was joined by his mother Celia Cuccittini and his siblings Matias, Rodrigo, and Maria Sol, alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children, as reported by Goal.com. Concurrently, regional football bodies including CONMEBOL and Newell's Old Boys — where Jorge Messi once played in the youth ranks — joined the Argentine Football Association in extending formal tributes, as detailed by Malijet.

Beyond the immediate circle, childhood roots also surfaced to honor the family. Abanderado Grandoli, the local Rosario club where Lionel Messi first kicked a ball under his father's guidance, published a historic team photograph featuring father and son surrounded by youth players on its digital channels, according to Goal.com.