According to Argentine newspaper Infobae, Jorge Messi passed away at 10 p.m. on August 7 at a medical facility in Rosario, Argentina, after a long battle with illness.
Jorge Messi was a businessman and also served as Lionel Messi’s representative for many years. He was widely seen as one of the most important people behind Messi’s journey to becoming one of the greatest footballers in the world.
When Lionel was still a young player at Newell’s Old Boys, Jorge worked hard to find treatment for his son’s growth hormone deficiency. He later travelled with Lionel to Barcelona after the family decided to give the young Argentine the chance to build his football career in Europe.
Throughout Messi’s successful career, Jorge was often seen alongside his son but rarely spoke to the media. He gave only a few interviews over the years and preferred to work behind the scenes, helping Lionel deal with important matters away from the pitch.
Jorge also regularly joined the Messi family at World Cup tournaments. However, the family’s absence in the United States during the most recent World Cup attracted attention. Only Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three children, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, were seen there.
