Cristiano Ronaldo's Emotional Response To Lionel Messi's Family Tragedy Draws Praise
On the field, they are the fiercest of competitors. Off the field, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the all-time greats in football, have shown respect for each other
- Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, died at age 68 in Rosario, Argentina
- Messi posted an emotional tribute on social media after his father's death
- Cristiano Ronaldo expressed condolences to Messi. "Much strength," he wrote
On the field, they are the fiercest of competitors. Off the field, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the all-time greats in football, have shown respect for each other. Ronaldo, on the day he got married to girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, did not forget to convey his condolences following the death of Messi's father, Jorge Messi. Ronaldo lent his support to Messi, who posted on social media for the first time after his father died on Saturday.
"A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength," Ronaldo commented on Messi's post.
Lionel Messi suffered a terrible loss last week. His father, Jorge Messi, who was instrumental in the legendary footballer's career, died on Saturday at a hospital in the central Argentine city of Rosario. He was 68. He played a fundamental role in his third son's career, serving as his agent and managing his business affairs. He was the one who traveled with a young Messi to Barcelona in the early 2000s for the trial that would open the doors to La Masia, the Catalan club's youth academy. Lionel Messi made his professional debut in 2005 and went on to win eight Ballon d'Or awards. He led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title.
After the tragic loss, Lionel Messi reacted publicly for the first time by posting a long note on a social media platform.
"Pa, I still can't believe you're gone. It's very hard for me to imagine that I'm not going to see you anymore, that we're not going to talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that it's for the best, but you have gone too early. We still had a lot to enjoy together. You were asking me so much to play in the last World Cup, and days before it started, you got worse. It was the first time you weren't going to be in a tournament," Messi wrote on Instagram.
"Every time a game ended, I expected and missed your message. I realised that the situation was really bad. Still, I kept thinking that if I got as far as possible, it would give you time to watch a game. We got to the final, and you couldn't be there. When I arrived, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We could not talk about anything that happened. You couldn't enjoy anything."
A heartbroken Messi said he has suffered an irreparable loss.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to go on. I was just playing football, and now I have a lot of doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for a long time. You were by my side from the beginning, and there was so little time left until the end. Why didn't you stay a little longer so that we could have finished this journey together?" Messi wrote.
"You were a dad, friend, and representative. You were always the person you needed to be at every moment, and you were never wrong about anything. Beyond some reproaches or quarrels, you were always right. In the end, it turned out exactly as you said. I will miss you very much, but you will always be present, especially in the upbringing of my children, because I teach and raise them as you did me. Rest in peace and take care of us from above, as you did here. Thanks for everything. I love you, Pa."
Messi has reportedly suspended his football career indefinitely following the death of his father
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