Lionel Messi disclosed in a heartfelt Instagram post that his journey to this year's FIFA World Cup final was fueled by a personal vow made to his father, Jorge, who had been fighting a severe illness in the days leading up to the tournament's start and was ultimately unable to be present.
Jorge Messi passed away last week at a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, at age 68, after an extended illness, casting his son's career into uncertainty as he suggested retirement.
Newell's Old Boys, the club where Jorge himself once competed and where Lionel launched his youth career, characterized him in a statement as "the pillar and the person who, with vision, rigor and affection, supported the career of the best player of all time."
Jorge had acted as his son's representative since Lionel was 14 years old, brokering his transition to Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy and subsequently his moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
In his tribute, Messi disclosed that his father's condition had deteriorated dramatically just days before the World Cup commenced, representing what would have been the first tournament of Messi's career that Jorge could not witness in person, as per The Mirror US.
"You asked me so much to play in the last World Cup and days before the start was when you reached your worst," Messi wrote. "It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament, but mom told me that you were going to be better and that you were going to be fine to be able to travel. I told you that we were going to reach the final so you could travel."
That pledge brought fresh significance to Argentina's journey through the competition, which eventually concluded with a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the Final.
Messi described driving his body beyond its physical boundaries in a bid to reach that Final for his father's sake, even as his condition declined.
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"I wanted to win it to take the trophy and show you a new one," Messi wrote. "I couldn't, my legs couldn't take it anymore. This time I tried to go against my physique, but I couldn't. I could never feel good."
Messi also outlined the emotional burden of competing throughout the tournament while his father's condition worsened from a distance.
"Every time a game ended, I expected and missed your message. That's when I realized that the situation was real," he wrote. He disclosed that by the time he returned home after the final, his father's recollection of events had already started to diminish. When I arrived you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn't talk about anything that happened."
Messi continued to characterize his father as "a father, a friend and a manager," concluding his message with a vow to uphold the principles Jorge instilled in him.
"I am going to miss you a lot, but you will always be present, and especially in the education of my children, because I teach them and educate them as you did with me," Messi wrote. "Rest in peace and take care of us from above as you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, pa."
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
