Jorge Messi, who was the soccer star’s longtime agent, died at age 68 in Rosario on Aug. 7
Credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images;Marc Atkins/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Lionel Messi is visiting his home country of Argentina for the funeral of his father, Jorge Messi, who died in Rosario on Aug. 7
- Messi and his family landed in Argentina on Aug. 8
- The death of the soccer star’s father comes nearly two months after his family shared that Jorge was diagnosed with an illness
Lionel Messi is visiting his home country of Argentina for the funeral of his father, Jorge Messi, who died this week at age 68.
The news agency Agence France-Presse reported on Sunday, Aug. 9, that Messi had landed in Argentina on Saturday, Aug. 8, and that he was visiting his hometown of Rosario for a private ceremony. The funeral proceedings were set to take place in the nearby town of Perez.
The Argentinian soccer star’s father died in his hometown of Rosario at around 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, according to Argentine and Spanish outlets Infobae, El Español and La Nacion.
According to AFP, Messi, 39, was joined by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, for the ceremony. A few of Messi’s teammates were also in attendance.
A representative for Inter Miami FC did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday.
Credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty
AFP reported that the town’s cemetery gates had been decked out with memorabilia, flowers and messages of support from Messi’s fans.
“Stay strong, Leo, we love you,” one message read, while another stated, “Stay strong, Messi family.”
“He has brought so much joy to this country, now it’s our turn to give a little back and offer him some comfort,” 15-year-old fan Lucas Blanco, who was waiting outside the cemetery gates, told AFP.
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Several of Messi’s Inter Miami FC teammates shared their support for the star player following his father’s death, including midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, who took off his shirt to reveal Messi’s No. 10 jersey underneath after Saturday’s game match against Monterrey, the outlet reported.
“It will surely do him good for us to be there,” Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes added after Saturday’s match, per AFP. “I need to speak with a few of my teammates to see if we go now or sometime tomorrow.”
Credit: Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty
Jorge, who was the soccer icon’s longtime representative and agent, was a former supervisor at a steel manufacturing plant. He traveled with Lionel to Barcelona when the young soccer star was just 13 years old, and helped his negotiate a number of major contracts over the course of his career.
Jorge’s death comes nearly two months after his family shared that he was diagnosed with an illness, although they did not share details at the time.
“He is currently under medical observation, recovering and progressing favorably within his current condition,” the family said in a statement in June, per ESPN.
“The family also wishes to clarify that only his closest family members have accurate and reliable information about Jorge’s condition,” the statement continued. “Therefore, any version, statement, or information that does not come from the family itself and its official channels should not be considered valid or true. At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence, and compassion.”
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