Leo Messi says goodbye to his father accompanied by his family

BarcelonaFootballer Lionel Messi said goodbye this Sunday to his father, Jorge Messi, who died on Friday at the age of 68. The funeral took place at the private cemetery El Prado, located on the outskirts of the Argentine city of Rosario, and consisted of an intimate ceremony surrounded by a security operation. Messi arrived in Rosario on Saturday night on a private plane, accompanied by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children. Since Saturday midday, the El Prado cemetery had been closed to visitors to ensure the family's privacy. Leo Messi's brothers, Matías Rodrigo and María Sol, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, were present at the wake and funeral. The family, in fact, tried to preserve privacy at all times and did not make any public statements about the patriarch's death.

All weekend matches in all professional and youth categories in Argentina observed a minute of silence in tribute to Jorge Messi. The Argentine Football Association also asked players, technical staff, and referees to wear a black armband. Furthermore, various institutions and personalities remembered Leo Messi's father on social media and offered their condolences to the footballer. The Abanderado Grandoli club, where Messi learned to play football, published an archival photo of Jorge Messi with his son and other children, accompanied by the message "Thank you, Jorge, for being part of our history." After being admitted to the Hospital Centro de Rosario, Jorge Messi died on Saturday due to complications from a long illness.