A sombre farewell and an uncertain future
Lionel Messi has cast doubt on his footballing future in an emotional tribute to his father, Jorge, who died on Saturday at the age of 68 after being hospitalised during the FIFA World Cup. In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday, the 39-year-old Inter Miami forward expressed deep uncertainty about how much longer he can continue playing.
"All I ever did was play football, and now I have a fair few doubts as to whether I'll carry on doing it for much longer," Messi wrote, according to the text of the post. "You were by my side from the start, we were so close to the end (of his career). Why didn't you hang on just that little bit longer so we could finish it together?"
The post, which reflected on his father's role not only as a parent but as a consistent presence throughout his career, has been widely shared. Jorge Messi served as his son's agent and business manager, playing a significant role in his development and professional decisions.
A career defined by records
Even at 39, Messi's influence on the pitch remains extraordinary. During the 2026 World Cup, he scored eight goals in eight games, helping Argentina reach the final. The tournament showed a player who, in the words of former Germany captain Philipp Lahm, remains peerless.
"He is the greatest footballer I've ever witnessed. You can still see that even though he's 39 years old," Lahm wrote in his column for German football publication Kicker. "He was the best player I've ever played against by far."
Messi's career has been defined by records. He holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or titles, with eight, and his club career — spanning Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and now Inter Miami — is decorated with numerous trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with the Catalan club, which he joined at age 13.
Life in Miami
Now in his fourth season with Inter Miami, Messi led the team to its first MLS Cup championship and earned his second straight league MVP award last season. He is under contract with the club through 2028, with a reported base salary of $34.5 million per campaign.
His move to the United States in 2023 marked a new chapter in a career that has always been followed by immense global interest. Off the pitch, Messi's impact is felt commercially, with sports brand strategist James Kirkham commenting on the club's growing popularity in the UK and Europe. In a separate incident that underscored his iconic status, a promotional tour of India in 2025 drew massive crowds, with some fans invading the pitch after he did not appear.
Life after football?
Messi has already acknowledged the physical demands of the game at his age. In a 2024 interview on the Big Time podcast, he said he would quit when he could no longer perform. Earlier this year, he told The Telegraph he had changed his style of play due to age, a shift that has not diminished his output but signals a player aware of his own mortality on the pitch.
Toni Kroos, the former Germany midfielder, praised Messi after the 2022 World Cup, while sports branding expert Nataliya Bredikhina has discussed how athletes like Messi transcend their sport via social media. The debate over who is the greatest — Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, who continues to chase goalscoring milestones in Saudi Arabia — seems almost moot in the face of such a long and decorated career.
For now, the football world waits to see whether Messi will grace the pitch for much longer. His words, full of doubt and grief, suggest that even the greatest must eventually confront the end of the game.