Lionel Messi’s father Jorge Messi has passed away at 68 years old.

Jorge Messi, father and long-time representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, was confirmed dead at the age of 68, MARCA reported on Saturday, citing Argentine news medium Infobae.

It was gathered that Jorge died at about 10 pm on Friday at a sanatorium in Rosario, Argentina, following a prolonged illness.

Jorge, who was married to Celia Cuccittini and had four children, Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol, played a major role in his son’s rise from a young player at Newell’s Old Boys to one of football’s biggest stars.

He was particularly instrumental in securing medical treatment for Lionel when the youngster required growth hormone therapy.

After efforts to secure the treatment in Argentina proved unsuccessful, Jorge helped arrange his son’s move to Barcelona at the age of 13.

He later stayed with Lionel in Spain during the early and difficult stages of his European adventure while the rest of the family remained in Rosario.

Recalling that period in a 2007 interview, Lionel said his father had asked whether he wanted to continue pursuing his dream in Spain or return home.

My old man was always by my side. We lived through many bad moments,” Messi recalled.

He added, “My old man asked me, what do you want to do, do you want to continue or shall we go back? I wanted to continue and he stayed with me.”

That decision became a defining moment in the footballer’s career as Messi went on to establish himself at Barcelona and eventually become one of the most decorated players in football history.

Jorge also became a key figure in managing his son’s affairs away from the pitch, including negotiations with major global brands.