Jorge Messi, father of Lionel Messi, dies in Rosario; tributes pour in

Jorge Messi, the father of football icon Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina. His passing occurred after he had been hospitalized, and the family has chosen to hold a private farewell for him.

Following the confirmation of Jorge Messi's death, the Bella Vista training ground, where Lionel Messi began his career with Newell's Old Boys, lowered the club's flag to half-mast in his honor. Family members and close associates gathered at a private cemetery in Pérez, a town near Rosario, for an intimate ceremony.

Reports indicate that the family decided against a public wake after his hospitalization in a city health center. By midday, access to the cemetery in Pérez was restricted to authorized vehicles only. Preparations for the burial at Cementerio El Prado were underway, with private security personnel present.

Gestures of mourning have extended beyond the immediate family. Jorge Messi's bar, the VIP bar located near the Monumento a la Bandera, displayed a sign indicating it was closed due to mourning, and shared a brief message on social media. Leones FC, a team presided over by Lionel's brother Matías Messi, suspended all its activities for the weekend and into Monday. Rosario Central, Lionel's first club, also expressed its condolences and displayed a black ribbon under its crest.