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Lionel Messi‘s archrival Cristiano Ronaldo has sent his condolences to the soccer star and his family following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.

Messi shared an emotional social media post detailing how Jorge’s death left him devastated while hinting that it may have ushered in the end of his decades-long football career.

Cristiano Ronaldo Puts Rivalry Aside With Touching Messi Message

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Cristiano Ronaldo shared a heartwarming message with his football rival Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge. The Messi patriarch died last week at the age of 68 following a lengthy battle with an undisclosed illness, believed to be cancer.

Messi had taken to Instagram to pay a moving tribute to Jorge, to which Ronaldo replied, saying he was offering a “huge hug” to him and his family and urging them to “stay strong” amid the sad news.

“A huge hug to you and your loved ones during these difficult times, Leo. Stay strong,” Ronaldo wrote.

Both football icons have shared a lifelong rivalry matched by mutual respect.

Lionel Messi Hints At Ending His Football Career

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In his emotional post, Messi shared a photo alongside his dad while detailing how much pain Jorge’s death has caused him and how he was struggling to accept it.

“Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t sunk in, or rather, I don’t want it to. It’s so hard to imagine that I won’t see you anymore, that we won’t talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that it’s for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much to enjoy together,” Messi wrote when translated into English.

The Inter Miami star then hinted that he may be drawing the curtain on his illustrious career soon, saying he doesn’t think he can continue for much longer.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you; I don’t know how to go on. I just played football, and now I seriously doubt I’ll be able to keep doing it for much longer,” he continued.

He captioned the post, “Te Amo, Pa,” which translates to “I love you, Dad.”

Jorge Messi Laid To Rest In Private Funeral

Jorge was a central figure in Messi’s rise to global stardom after introducing him to the beautiful game at the age of four.

He coached him at local club Grandoli before taking over as his agent and helping secure his high-profile moves to Spanish giant FC Barcelona, French side Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami.

He died last week at a medical clinic in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. In the months leading up to his passing, he was reportedly cared for by his wife, Celia, and children Rodrigo, Matías, and María Sol.

A private funeral was held at a cemetery in Pérez, close to his hometown of Rosario. Messi and several of his Argentine teammates were in attendance to bid him farewell.

Messi’s family had asked the public for “responsibility, prudence, and compassion” during the 2026 World Cup amid rumors about Jorge’s death at the time.

Lionel Messi Broke Down During The World Cup

The football star also sparked concern during the global competition when he was seen crying profusely after scoring the opening goal in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria.

After the match, he explained that his tears weren’t related to the game and that he was going through a lot at the time.

“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to soccer,” he explained, per Hello! “And those feelings were because of that. I thank my teammates, the coaching staff, and the delegation for helping me.”

Tributes from all quarters, including the teams Messi has played for, have continued to pour in, offering their condolences during the difficult time.

Lionel Messi Never Forgot His Father’s Sacrifices

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The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has often shared his gratitude for the immense sacrifices his father made to help him become the player he is today.

In 2000, Jorge gave up his stable job as a steel factory manager in Rosario to move his entire family to Spain so 13-year-old Lionel could join FC Barcelona’s youth academy.

“My father helped me enormously. He is very critical of me. That made me always want to push myself further,” Lionel Messi told DirecTV Sports in 2022.

“When we arrived in Barcelona, I used to lock myself in my room to cry alone, and my father did the same — either without me seeing him or thinking I didn’t see him. We pretended we were both fine, but we were struggling,” Messi later said. “When things were tough, my father even asked me what I wanted to do, whether I wanted to keep going or go back home. I wanted to continue, so he stayed with me.”

The Cristiano Comforts Lionel Messi After Father’s Death: ‘Huge Hug To You’ first appeared on The Blast