In one of the most painful moments of his life, Lionel Messi received support this Wednesday from his eternal rival: Cristiano Ronaldo left a condolence message for him on Instagram following the heartfelt letter that the Argentine star dedicated to his late father.
Messi published a lengthy farewell to Jorge Messi, who passed away last Saturday at the age of 68 at the Centro de Rosario Sanatorium.
Among the thousands of comments that arrived within minutes, Cristiano's stood out. The Portuguese wrote to him: "A big hug to you and your loved ones in these tough times, Leo. Stay strong."
The gesture did not go unnoticed. Ronaldo's message to Messi became the most liked comment of the entire post, receiving more than one million likes and 14,136 responses, far surpassing the rest.
David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami and close friend of Messi, also joined in: "We are with you and your family, Leo, always @leomessi." Neymar also commented, saying: "Lots of strength to you and your family. Big hug."
Messi's letter shook the sports world not only for its emotional depth but also for a confession that left the future of the 39-year-old star uncertain. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you, I don't know how to go on. I only used to play football, and now I have many doubts about whether I will continue doing it for much longer," he wrote.
In the post, Messi said farewell to his father with words that summarize a lifetime spent together: “You were a father, a friend, and a representative. You always were the person you needed to be at every moment and never made a mistake.”
Jorge Messi could not attend his son's last World Cup—the first time he had missed a tournament—due to his deteriorating health. Argentina reached the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where they lost to Spain 1-0 in extra time. He passed away just three weeks later.
The post accumulated over 9 million likes, almost 500 thousand comments, and 470,000 shares in just a few hours. Messi also expressed his gratitude for the support in a story: "I want to sincerely thank you all for the love, respect, and immense consideration you showed to me and my family during this very painful time."
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