Lionel Messi says he does not know how much longer he will play football as he paid an emotional tribute following the death of his father.
Messi’s father Jorge died last week aged 68 after a long illness.
The Argentina forward’s agent since he was 14, Jorge had seen him become one of the greatest ever players in the game, per BBC Sport.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” Messi, 39, wrote on social media.
“I don’t know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.
“You were by my side from the beginning; there was so little left until the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?”
He captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and to the 2026 World Cup final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Spain, before returning to club side Inter Miami.
Jorge died in a hospital in his hometown Rosario, Argentina, and was brought home to his family.
A private funeral was held Sunday at a cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario.
