Lionel Messi doubts future after father's death
Lionel Messi has expressed uncertainty about his football future following the death of his father.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Lionel Messi has cast doubt on his football future after the death of his father, Jorge, who passed away last week at the age of 68 after a long illness. The 39-year-old Argentina captain, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, issued an emotional tribute in which he said he no longer knows how to go on.
Messi's father was his first football coach and later his agent, guiding him from an early age to Barcelona, where he spent more than two decades at the top. He attended the funeral in Rosario at the weekend, where tributes were held across Argentina.
In his statement, Messi said: "I don't know how to go on. I used to just play football and now I'm really not sure if I'll keep doing it for much longer." He also reflected on his father's absence during the recent World Cup, where he played knowing how ill his father was, and spoke of missing messages after the game. He added: "You were by my side in the beginning, the end was so close, why couldn't you hold on that bit longer?"
Messi currently plays for Inter Miami in the United States, and at 39 there is still the possibility of a home World Cup in four years. But the events of the past week could bring about the end of a remarkable career.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | GB News | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jorge Messi died at the age of 68, with the announcement made at the weekend. | · | ||
| Jorge Messi was Messi's first football coach and later his agent. | · | ||
| Lionel Messi has serious doubts about being able to continue playing football for much longer. | · | ||
| Jorge Messi acted as Lionel Messi's agent and guided him to Barcelona in the 2000s. | · | · | |
| Lionel Messi was reported to be the target of a suicide bomber on US soil during the World Cup, according to the Daily Star. | · | · | |
| Messi attended the funeral in Rosario at the weekend. | · | · | |
| Messi has more than 200 appearances and over 120 goals for Argentina. | · | · | |
| There is still the prospect of a home World Cup match for Messi in four years' time. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News did not cover the story of Messi's father's death or his doubts about his future. Instead, the channel mentioned Messi only in passing during a newspaper review, referencing a Daily Star front page about an alleged bomb plot targeting him. The focus was on other news, including crime and political stories.
- “The Daily Star leads with an astonishing report that for many people the greatest player of all time Lionel Messi was actually the target of a suicide bomber whilst on US soil during the World Cup.”
Sky News focused on the emotional impact of Jorge Messi's death on Lionel, highlighting his father's role as mentor and agent. The report quoted Messi's heartfelt statement directly and noted his age and current club, but did not mention the funeral or tributes in Argentina.
- “a really emotional statement from Messi at the age of 39, playing currently for Inter Miami in the United States, contemplating how long he now can continue for since the loss of his father, his inspiration and his guide for his footballing career.”
BBC ONE West provided a more rounded report, covering the funeral, tributes across Argentina, and the potential for a home World Cup in four years. It framed the story as a possible end to a remarkable career, while also quoting Messi's statement and noting his father's role as coach and agent.
- “But the events of the past week could bring about the end of a remarkable career.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.