The family of Argentine football star Lionel Messi has confirmed that his 68-year-old father, Jorge Messi is undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed health condition.
The announcement comes days after the 38-year-old Argentina captain broke down in tears on the pitch during a World Cup match, sparking widespread speculation about his personal life.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, the family dismissed circulating rumors which included false reports in Argentina regarding Jorge’s death and asked for public respect.
"Jorge is going through a health situation. He is currently under medical observation, recovering and progressing favorably," the statement read.
The family expressed deep discomfort over the irresponsible speculation surrounding the issue. "At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity. A person’s health and the peace of mind of those around them should not be the subject of speculation. We request that the privacy and confidentiality of Jorge and his entire family be respected during this process."
The health scare explains Messi's emotional state during Argentina’s 3-0 opening World Cup victory over Algeria earlier this week.
After scoring the first of his three goals, Messi was visibly overcome with emotion. Following the match he clarified that his tears were not about the game.
"I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to soccer, and those feelings were because of that," Messi told reporters. "I am grateful to my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength."
Despite the off-field struggles, Messi made history during the match. His hat-trick allowed him to equal Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history with 16 goals. He also surpassed Pelé for the most total goal contributions in World Cup history (24 comprising 16 goals and eight assists).
Jorge Messi has been a central figure in his son’s legendary career. He has acted as Lionel's agent since his childhood famously accompanying him to Spain in the early 2000s for a tryout at Barcelona’s La Masia academy.
Over the decades, Jorge has negotiated Messi’s historic contracts with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, while also managing his lucrative image rights and business investments.
Messi is currently with the Argentine squad at their base camp in Kansas City. The team will face Austria in their second group match on Monday, June 22 in Dallas.
