Cristiano Ronaldo Sends Condolences To Lionel Messi After Death Of Father Jorge At Age 68

Cristiano Ronaldo has offered his condolences to longtime rival Lionel Messi following the death of Messi's father, Jorge, who died Saturday at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer, in a gesture that underscored the mutual respect between two players whose rivalry has defined more than a decade of world football.

Jorge Messi died at Sanatorio Centro, a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, according to a statement from the medical center. Dr. Carlos Mackey, the hospital's medical director, confirmed that Jorge Messi passed away in the early hours of the morning and said no further details about the cause of death would be released, citing respect for the family's privacy. Local media in Argentina had reported that Jorge Messi had been battling cancer.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Ronaldo reached out to Messi directly with a message of support. "Huge hug to you and your loved ones in this difficult moment, Leo. Stay strong," Ronaldo wrote. The message added to a wave of tributes from across the sport, with players including Neymar, Luka Modrić and Carlos Alcaraz also responding to Messi's own public tribute to his father.

Messi broke his silence on the loss with an emotional letter posted to Instagram, in which he described the difficulty of processing his father's death. "Dad, I still can't believe you're gone. It hasn't sunk in, or rather, I don't want it to sink in," Messi wrote. In a separate message thanking fans for their support, Messi wrote, "I want to sincerely thank everyone for the love, respect, and immense consideration you showed my family and me during this painful time following my father's passing," adding gratitude for those who respected the family's need for privacy during their grief.

In his tribute, Messi also revealed the toll his father's declining health had taken on him during Argentina's run to this year's World Cup final, where the team lost to Spain on July 19. Messi described trying to push through physically for his father's sake despite the emotional weight of the situation. "I wanted to win it to bring [the trophy] to you and show you a new one. I couldn't, my legs couldn't go any further. This time I tried to go against my body, but I couldn't. I never managed to feel well," Messi wrote, according to CNN's translation of the letter. The 39-year-old also indicated the loss had left him uncertain about how much longer he intends to continue playing.

Jorge Messi's health had loomed over the tournament for weeks before his death, with his family previously confirming he was dealing with a health issue but declining to provide further detail, and asking media for what they described as "humanity" amid persistent speculation. The situation had already generated controversy in Argentina in June, when television host Florencia Peña resigned after incorrectly reporting that Jorge Messi had died ahead of the World Cup, an error she said resulted from bad information relayed to her during a live broadcast.

Jorge Messi was far more than a spectator in his son's career. A former metalworker and steel executive from Rosario, he introduced Lionel to football at age 4 on vacant lots where local children played, and later managed the boy's early youth teams at the small club Grandoli. When Barcelona invited a 13-year-old Messi to Spain in 2000 to continue treatment for a growth hormone deficiency while playing in the club's youth academy, Jorge left behind his job, his wife and his three other children in Argentina to accompany his son to Catalonia. He went on to serve as Messi's agent and manage his business affairs for the remainder of his career, remaining one of his son's closest advisers as Messi rose to become an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and a World Cup champion with Argentina in 2022.

Tributes poured in from across Argentine football following news of Jorge Messi's death. Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario club where Lionel Messi came up through the youth ranks, described Jorge as "the pillar and the person who, with vision, rigor and affection, supported the career of the best player of all time," alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini. The Argentine Football Association expressed its "sadness and regret" over the loss, while the Argentine national team posted a message of support for the family under the phrase "Fuerza Leo," Spanish for "Strength, Leo." UNICEF, where Messi serves as a Goodwill Ambassador, also paid tribute, noting Jorge's longtime commitment to children's rights as a benefactor of the organization.

A private funeral ceremony was held Sunday at a cemetery in Pérez, a town adjacent to Rosario, attended by close family and a small number of Messi's Argentina teammates. Messi traveled to Argentina on a private flight from Miami late Saturday alongside his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children to attend the service. Jorge Messi is survived by his wife and four children: Lionel and his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, along with his younger sister, María Sol.

The exchange between Ronaldo and Messi, two players whose rivalry spanned their overlapping careers at Real Madrid and Barcelona and shaped more than a decade of debate over the sport's greatest player, offered a rare public moment of warmth between the two, both of whom have periodically acknowledged their mutual respect despite years of competition for individual and team honors.