Footballer Lionel Messi published a touching address after the death of his father Jorge Messi. The father of Lionel died on Saturday, August 8, at the age of 68 after health problems. The footballer urgently flew to Rosario to be at the funeral, and then returned to Miami. On Wednesday, he decided to publish a deep and touching farewell address.
In his post, Lionel Messi wrote that he still cannot believe his father’s death: “Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. I don’t realize this, or rather, I don’t want to realize it. It’s very hard for me to imagine that I won’t see you anymore, that we won’t talk anymore.” He knew that his father was suffering, and understood that death put an end to his suffering, but noted that Jorge Messi left life too soon: “We still had so much left to enjoy together.”
Memories of the World Cup and the last moments
Lionel Messi recalled how his father often asked him to play in the last World Cup, but a few days before it started, Jorge Messi‘s condition worsened. It was the first time his father could not be present at the tournament, but his mother assured him that he would recover and be able to come. Lionel told his father that they would reach the final so that he could come.
After each match, Lionel Messi waited for a message from his father and was sad when he did not receive it. Then he realized the true seriousness of the situation. Despite this, he did not stop thinking about going as far as possible to give his father time and the opportunity to watch the match. The team reached the final, but Jorge Messi could not be there. Messi wanted to win the final to bring the trophy to his father and show him, but he could not because his legs could no longer endure. This time he tried to push himself, but in vain, as he did not feel well.
The footballer frankly talked about the last moments he spent with his father. After the final, he went to Rosario to see him and spend time with his family. “When I arrived, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn’t discuss anything that happened. You couldn’t enjoy anything. We didn’t become champions, but you don’t know how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play. I tell you this because it’s the only thing we couldn’t talk about, since you already know everything else. We talked every day and saw each other when it was possible despite my obligations,” wrote Lionel Messi.
Doubt about continuing his career and farewell
In addition to personal memories of the World Cup, the footballer expressed doubts about his future career: “I don’t know what I will do without you, I don’t know how to continue. I have only played football, and now I have many doubts about whether I can continue to do this for much longer. You were with me from the very beginning, there was so little left until the end. Why didn’t you hold on a little longer, and we would have finished together?”
Lionel Messi noted that his father’s happiness was to see his family — his wife, children, and especially to secretly watch his son play. It was like this since childhood: his father took him to training as soon as he returned from work, and his mother took him to many trainings because his father was working. Messi assured that his father did not miss any of his matches and, although he worried during his games, he also enjoyed them. At the same time, his father was never too generous with praise.
“You were a father, friend, and agent. You were always the person you had to be at every moment, and you were never wrong about anything. Despite some reproaches or arguments, you were always right. In the end, everything turned out as you said,” noted Lionel Messi. He will miss his father very much, but he will always be present in his life, especially in raising his children, as he teaches them as his parents taught him. The address ended with the words: “Rest in peace and protect us from above, as you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, dad.”
According to: La Nación
