08/12/26 10:38:00
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08/12 10:37 CDT Lionel Messi shares tribute to late father Jorge, expresses
doubts about continuing to play soccer
Lionel Messi shares tribute to late father Jorge, expresses doubts about
continuing to play soccer
MIAMI (AP) --- Lionel Messi shared a tribute to his late father, Jorge, on
social media on Wednesday, opening up about how difficult it was to lead
Argentina to the World Cup final and expressing uncertainty about whether he
will continue playing soccer.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," the post said in Spanish,
shared on Messi's Instagram. "I don't know how to keep going. All I ever did
was play soccer, and now I have serious doubts about whether I'll keep doing it
for much longer."
Jorge Messi --- who played a fundamental role in the soccer star's career,
serving as his agent and managing his business affairs --- died Saturday. He
was 68.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to a runner-up finish in this summer's World Cup. In
the team's first match, against Algeria, he was visibly emotional after scoring
the first of his three goals. He said later that he wept for "a reason
unrelated to sports."
"You asked me to play in this last World Cup so many times and just before it
started was when you took a turn for the worse," the post said. "It was the
first time you weren't going to be at the tournament. But mom kept telling me
that you were going to get better and that you'd be well enough to travel. I
kept telling you that we were going to make it to the final so you could
travel."
The post added that Messi "wanted to win it" for his father.
"I couldn't," the post continued. "My legs had nothing left. This time I tried
to push beyond what my body could handle, but I couldn't. I never managed to
feel right."
Messages of support for the Messi family have poured in over recent days. Messi
had returned to his native Argentina and missed his MLS club Inter Miami's
recent Leagues Cup match against Monterrey.
Inter Miami concludes the group phase of the tournament Wednesday night against
Len, though coach Guillermo Hoyos said Tuesday there is no timetable for
Messi's return.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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