As he continues to process the death of his father, Lionel Messi isn't sure how much longer he will continue to play without his biggest supporter around.
Jorge Messi, who had been his son's agent since Lionel was 14, died on Aug. 8 at a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, following a lengthy illness. He was 68.
The Inter Miami striker paid tribute to his father in an emotional social media post Wednesday, reflecting on their close relationship and the role Jorge played throughout his career.
"Dad, I still can't believe you're gone," Messi wrote. "It's so hard for me to imagine that I'll never see you again, that we'll never talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together."
Messi said his father was more than his agent, describing him as his friend and the person who was always by his side.
"You were my dad, my friend and my agent," he wrote. "You were always the person that had to be there in every moment."
Jorge Messi moved to Barcelona when Lionel was 13 to support his son's football career. He remained closely involved as Messi developed into one of the greatest players in the sport's history, winning eight Ballon d'Or awards, numerous trophies with Barcelona and the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
His father's health deteriorated earlier this year, preventing him from attending the 2026 World Cup.
Messi said Jorge had repeatedly encouraged him to play in what could be his final World Cup and that the family's hope was he would recover enough to attend.
"You kept asking me to play in one last World Cup, and just days before it started, that's when you took a turn for the worse," Messi wrote.
"It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you'd get better and that you'd be well enough to travel. I kept telling you that we were going to make it to the final so you could come along."
Messi said he noticed the severity of his father's condition as he waited for messages from him following Argentina's matches.
"Every time a game ended, I'd wait for and miss your message. That's when I realized how bad the situation was," he wrote.
Despite his concerns, Messi helped Argentina reach the final, where it lost 1-0 to Spain. He said he hoped to win the tournament so he could bring the trophy home to his father.
"We made it to the final, and you couldn't be there," Messi wrote. "I wanted to win it so I could bring the trophy to you and show you a new one. I couldn't, my legs had nothing left. This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn't."
Jorge Messi's death has prompted an outpouring of support from across the football world.
Cristiano Ronaldo responded to Messi's post, writing: "A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength."
Inter Miami held a minute of silence in Jorge Messi's memory before its match against Monterrey.
Messi did not play in the match and returned to Argentina following his father's death. Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos has not provided a timetable for the forward's return.
In his tribute, Messi acknowledged that his father's death has left him questioning what comes next.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," Messi wrote. "I don't know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I'm really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer."
He added: "You were by my side from the very beginning. We were so close to the end. Why didn't you hang in there just a little longer so we could finish this together?"