Lionel Messi has returned to Argentina for an emotional farewell to the man who stood behind virtually every chapter of his extraordinary career.
The football superstar joined family members in his hometown of Rosario following the death of his father and longtime agent, Jorge Messi, who died at 68 after an illness. Jorge wasn't simply "Messi's dad" - he was the quiet force who helped take a gifted little boy from Argentina to Barcelona and ultimately helped build one of the biggest sporting careers the world has ever seen.
Messi attended a private funeral near Rosario alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, their three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, and other family members. Fans gathered nearby with flowers and messages of support as Argentina's football community mourned alongside him.
But Jorge's death has also prompted fans to look back at one of the most remarkable father-son stories in sports.
When Lionel was just 13, Jorge uprooted him from Rosario and took him to Spain in pursuit of an opportunity with FC Barcelona. Messi had been diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child, and the family faced the costly challenge of securing his treatment while trying to nurture an obvious but still unproven football talent.
Then came the now-legendary napkin.
With negotiations over Messi's future dragging on, Barcelona sporting director Carles Rexach famously committed to signing the teenager by writing an agreement on a paper napkin in December 2000. What looked like an almost ridiculously informal promise would eventually become one of the most consequential "contracts" in sporting history.
And Jorge was there at the centre of it.
He went on to serve as Lionel's longtime representative, overseeing negotiations and business matters as his son moved from teenage prodigy to Barcelona icon, World Cup winner and global commercial powerhouse. Reports examining Jorge's legacy estimate that the career he helped shepherd ultimately produced a fortune and commercial empire worth well over $1 billion.
Through Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina, Jorge remained a fixture behind the scenes.
That bond makes this week especially heartbreaking.
Inter Miami paid tribute before its match against Monterrey, displaying Jorge's name inside the stadium and observing a moment of silence. Players wore black armbands, while Lionel's Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul delivered an especially emotional gesture after scoring, revealing Messi's famous No. 10 shirt underneath his own jersey.
Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario club closely connected to the Messi family and where Lionel played as a child, also mourned Jorge, remembering the unwavering support and leadership he provided throughout his son's rise.
For decades, fans saw Lionel Messi lifting trophies, breaking records and becoming arguably the most celebrated footballer of his generation.
Just a few steps behind him was usually Jorge.
From taking an enormous gamble on a 13-year-old boy in Barcelona to navigating contracts worth fortunes, his fingerprints were all over the Messi story.
Now Lionel has returned to the place where that story began - not as the global superstar surrounded by cheering crowds, but as a son saying goodbye to his dad.
