Lionel Messi said his final farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, this Sunday at the private cemetery El Prado, located in the town of Pérez, about 25 minutes from downtown Rosario, in an intimate and private ceremony attended only by close family and friends.
Jorge Messi passed away on Saturday morning at 2:00 AM local time at the Sanatorio Centro in Rosario, at the age of 68, after battling a prolonged illness whose diagnosis the family kept confidential.
The Argentine star traveled urgently from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he resides and plays for Inter Miami, on a private plane that landed at the Rosario airport around 8:40 PM on Saturday.
Under a security operation, a van transported him from the airport to the family property in an exclusive neighborhood of the city of Santa Fe, where he reunited with his mother, Celia Cuccittini, and his siblings Rodrigo, Matías, and María Sol.
The funeral at El Prado cemetery, a private property along Route 33, had restricted access and police presence to maintain the privacy of the event, which concluded at noon on Sunday.
Jorge Messi, born in 1958 in the province of Santa Fe, was a key figure in his son's career.
He was the one who discovered Lionel's talent when he was a child at the Grandoli neighborhood club and who made the decision to move the family to Barcelona so that the player could develop in the youth ranks of FC Barcelona.
Before becoming Lionel's family heritage representative and manager, Jorge worked as an operator at the Acindar steel factory in Rosario.
Inter Miami released Messi from the Leagues Cup match against Monterrey so he could travel to Argentina, and published an official message: "Our hearts are with our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family."
The death of Jorge Messi triggered a wave of condolences from the football world. The AFA declared mourning across all categories, with a minute of silence, black armbands, and flags at half-mast.
FC Barcelona expressed gratitude for Jorge's commitment to the club during the early days and rise of Leo's career, while Real Madrid issued an official message of condolence in an unusual display of institutional support towards the environment of a historical rival.
Newell's Old Boys, River Plate, Conmebol, and RFEF also expressed their condolences to the family.
Jorge Messi was married to Celia Cuccittini and had four children: Rodrigo, Matías, Lionel, and María Sol, whom he supported throughout each phase of a family story that forever changed world football.
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