Jorge Messi, the father and long-time agent of Argentina captain and football icon Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68 in a hospital in Rosario, according to Infobae.

The cause of death has not been disclosed. Jorge Messi had been under medical supervision in recent weeks as his health deteriorated.

Jorge played a central role throughout his son's remarkable career. He served as Lionel Messi's agent from the early stages of the forward's professional journey and remained one of the most influential figures behind the scenes throughout his rise to global stardom.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria, Messi spoke publicly about an especially difficult period in his personal life. He scored a hat-trick in the match, but later revealed that he had cried after one of his goals for a reason unrelated to football.

Messi also admitted that he had been through “several difficult days”, without going into further detail at the time.