Lionel Messi and his father, Jorge Messi. Photo: Football Espana
Jorge Messi, father and long-time representative of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68, MARCA reported on Saturday, citing Argentine news medium Infobae.
An independent check by PUNCH Online on Infobae and multiple other media sources disclosed 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.
