Leo Messi's Hometown of Rosario Rallies Around Soccer Star After Loss of Father, Jorge

Jorge Messi, father of the star and captain of the Argentine national team Lionel Messi, died on Saturday at a clinic in the city of Rosario after a battle against an illness that had him undergoing treatment in recent months, confirmed by Club Atlético Newell"s Old Boys on its social media. He was 68 years old.'

The Club Atlético Newell"s Old Boys bids farewell with deep sorrow and grief to Jorge Messi," the Rosario club published, describing the father of the star as a "well-known leproso supporter (as Newell"s players and fans are known), businessman, and father of the captain of the Argentine national team.

The death occurred at 2 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), the medical director of Sanatorio Centro, Dr. Carlos Mackey, said in a statement that refrained from providing further details about the circumstances of the death.

From the early hours, the reactions to the death in Messi's hometown were noticeable.

The VIP bar, owned by the Messis, remained closed and signaled mourning from early on, and the flags at the Malvinas complex, where Newell"s youth teams play, were at half-mast.

The grief was greater in the La Bajada neighborhood, where the Messis lived. The departure of the family's father rekindled the memories of those who shared New Year's celebrations and soccer matches.

"They are an excellent family, good people, and also very helpful to everyone," Carlos Ibáñez told The Associated Press. The 69-year-old man, a neighbor of Messi's father, described him as "an excellent person, just as Lionel is today." "He worked very long hours, he always worked away from home, he made many sacrifices for all of this," he recalled.

Newell's also praised Jorge Messi as "the support and the person who strengthened with vision, rigor, and affection the career of the greatest player of all time together with his wife, Celia Cuccittini."

Condolences also came from the Argentine Football Association, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), Argentina's Professional Football League (LPF) --which ordered a minute of silence and black armbands in the matches—, Unicef Argentina --as Messi is a Goodwill Ambassador—, and even Newell"s archrival, Rosario Central.

"Jorge Míguez, 65, came with his daughter to the Messi family's house to leave a flag. He said they are both Central supporters, but that they have in Lionel "an idol". "Lionel is a simple guy, as Maradona was, and we were saddened by his father's death," Míguez told The Associated Press.

Jorge Messi's health during the World Cup

In Argentina's first match in the recent World Cup against Algeria, the star scored three goals. During the celebration of the first, he was visibly emotional. Argentina's number 10 later clarified at the press conference that he cried over "a matter unrelated to sports".

"I went through some difficult, complicated days. I am grateful to the delegation, to all my teammates, because they were always by my side wishing me strength so that I would be well," he said.

The versions circulated at that time by the press about Jorge Messi's health —including one that falsely reported his death— caused the family's indignation and, days later —in the middle of the tournament—, they issued a statement confirming that "Jorge is going through a health situation", without specifying what the condition was.

Jorge Messi was a chemical technician and worked at the Acindar steel company. He tried to become a footballer as a midfielder and made it to the youth ranks of Newell"s Old Boys, but had to give up the activity to complete military service, which was then mandatory in Argentina.

He played a fundamental role in the brilliant football career of his third son, as his representative and the manager of his business affairs beyond football.

Always by Leo's side

He was the one who traveled with a young Messi to Barcelona at the start of the 2000s for the tryout that would open the doors of La Masía to him, the Catalan club's talent academy. The star made his professional debut in 2005, in the first step of a brilliant career that led him to win eight Ballon d'Or awards.

"My old man was always by my side. At times I would lock myself in my room to cry alone when we arrived in Barcelona, and my dad would do the same without me seeing him, or thinking I didn’t see him. We both acted like we were fine, but we weren’t. My old man even asked me what I wanted to do when we were having a hard time, whether I wanted to keep going or go back, and I wanted to keep going and he stayed with me," Lionel himself said in 2007, during an interview with Radio del Plata.

His father negotiated the contracts with Barça and then his transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, while also handling his famous son's image rights and his multiple investments in real estate, hotel, and restaurant businesses.

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