In a series of shocking events, star Argentina forward Lionel Messi has appeared to cast clouds of uncertainty over his footballing future. Sharing a heartfelt message on his official Instagram handle, the Inter Miami skipper expressed the pain of his loss and admitted that he is unsure how to move forward without his father by his side.
Lionel Messi to retire?
Jorge Messi took his last breath on August 8 after a lengthy battle with illness. His influence on Lionel Messi extended far beyond being a father, as he managed the former Barcelona forward's career and backed his footballing journey right from childhood.
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Reflecting on their relationship in an emotional Instagram post, Messi revealed that Jorge was also one of the driving forces behind his decision to represent Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentina skipper claimed that he wanted to lift another World Cup for his dad, but admitted that he could not physically push through in the end because of struggles.
In the emotional post, Lionel Messi admitted that he is not sure what the future holds for him, as he played the sport only for his dad and now he is confused about how to carry on his playing career.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to carry on. I only played football, and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and we were so close to the end. Why couldn't you hold on just a little longer so we could finish this together?"
It will be interesting to see what decision Messi takes regarding his playing career, as he is going through a sensational form. Currently, his goal tally stands at 920 and he needs 80 more to breach the 1000-goal mark in professional football. However, Messi does not need any achievement to define his playing career as iconic.