MIAMI : Lionel Messi said on Wednesday he was uncertain about continuing his football career following the death of his father, Jorge, last week at the age of 68.
Messi paid tribute to his father in an emotional Instagram post, saying he did not know how he would move forward without the man who had supported him throughout his career.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. I don’t know how to move forward,” Messi wrote. “I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I’m going to keep doing it for much longer.”
Jorge Messi was a constant presence during his son’s rise from his early years at Barcelona and later worked as his representative.
The 39-year-old Argentina captain said his father’s wish was one of the reasons he decided to play at this year’s World Cup, where Argentina finished runners-up after losing 1-0 to Spain in extra time.
“You always asked me to play in the last World Cup,” Messi said, adding that his father’s health deteriorated shortly before the tournament.
Messi recalled waiting for messages from his father after matches and said his absence made him realise how serious his condition had become.
The Argentine forward scored a hat-trick in his team’s opening match against Algeria and was seen crying during his celebration. He later said the emotion was unrelated to football and came after several difficult days.
Messi said he had hoped to win the World Cup for his father but struggled physically during the tournament.
“My legs couldn’t go on anymore,” he said. “This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn’t.”
Despite the defeat in the final, Messi said he was grateful to have played in the tournament and fulfilled his father’s wish.
He also vowed to honour Jorge’s memory by passing on the values with which he was raised to his own children.
“I’m going to miss you so much, but you will always be present, especially in the upbringing of my children,” Messi said.
