Messi hints he might walk away from football after father's death
Messi expressed doubts about his football career after his father Jorge died aged 68 in Argentina. The star says he's unsure if he'll continue playing.
Lionel Messi is questioning whether he'll keep playing. His father Jorge died last week in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68, following a prolonged illness at a medical clinic.
On Wednesday, the footballer opened up about the loss. In an Instagram post, he admitted the grief has left him lost. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you," he wrote. "I don't know how to move forward."
Then came the part that's got everyone paying attention. "I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for much longer."
It's a raw statement from someone who's essentially built his entire adult life around the sport. Jorge wasn't just his father—he was a constant presence in Messi's career, deeply involved in his development as a player and his professional decisions.
The timing makes this especially heavy. Messi's still in his playing years, and this kind of personal upheaval tends to make athletes reassess everything. Whether he actually steps away or this is grief talking right now, nobody knows. But the fact that he's publicly doubting his future in the game says something about where his head is at.
Fans and the football world are watching closely. For now, it seems like Messi's priorities have shifted away from the pitch.
