Lionel Messi hinted that he might retire from soccer just days after the devastating loss of his father, Jorge.
Last week, Jorge died at the age of 68 following an extended battle with an undisclosed "health situation."
Posting to social media on Wednesday, Messi composed a heartfelt tribute in Spanish to his late father and agent, in which the Inter Miami icon acknowledged that he was uncertain about "how to keep going" in his career, via The Mirror US.
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"I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to keep going," Messi wrote. "I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts that I will continue to do so for a long time to come.
"You were by my side from the beginning, we were so close to the end. Why didn't you hold on for that little longer and we could finish together?"
Jorge stood right by Messi's side for virtually the entire duration of the Argentine's career, also playing a crucial role in his young son's progression through the FC Barcelona academy. "Pa, I still can't believe you're gone," Messi opened the post.
"I don't fall, or rather, I don't want to fall. It's very difficult for me to imagine that I'm not going to see you anymore, that we're not going to talk anymore.
"I know you were hurting and it's for the best, but you left too soon. We still had a lot to enjoy together."
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Messi revealed that he was repeatedly urged by Jorge to compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as his father's health deteriorated sharply in the buildup to the quadrennial tournament.
"You asked me so much to play in the last World Cup and days before the start was when you reached your worst," he added.
"It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament, but mom told me that you were going to be better and that you were going to be fine to be able to travel. I told you that we were going to reach the final so you could travel."
Messi clung to hope that Jorge would recuperate sufficiently to attend the World Cup Final, but came to understand the gravity of his father's condition when he stopped responding to his text messages.
"Every time a game ended, I expected and missed your message. That's when I realized that the situation was real," Messi said.
-Credit:Rich Storry - Leagues Cup, MLS via Getty Images"Even so, I kept thinking about getting as far as possible, to give you time to watch a game. We reached the final and you couldn't be there. I wanted to win it to take the trophy and show you a new one. I couldn't, my legs couldn't take it anymore. This time I tried to go against my physique, but I couldn't. I could never feel good."
Upon returning home following Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup Final, Messi was unable to discuss with Jorge everything that had unfolded on American soil. "When I arrived you thought we had lost the final on penalties," he recalled.
"We couldn't talk about anything that happened. You couldn't enjoy anything. We weren't champions, but you don't know how much we enjoyed every game. Again, you were right: I had to be there and play it."
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