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Lionel Messi has returned to his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, to bid a final farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, who died after a long illness.
Jorge Messi, 68, died at around 2am between Friday and Saturday local time.
No official information has been released about the exact cause or circumstances of his death. He had reportedly been suffering from health complications for a long time.
According to AFP, Messi arrived in Rosario from Fort Lauderdale at around 8:40pm local time on Saturday. He left the airport in a van under police escort, accompanied by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children.
Jorge Messi is scheduled to be buried in Perez, a city near Rosario. According to Argentine sports outlet TyC Sports, the funeral will be held privately, with only family members and close friends attending.
However, a large number of fans have already gathered outside the cemetery where Jorge Messi is expected to be buried. They came to show their support for the football superstar during the difficult time.
Jorge Messi played an important role throughout his son’s career, supporting Messi from his early days and later serving as his agent. Messi has returned to Argentina to pay his final respects and stand by his grieving family, particularly his mother, Celia.
Messi had been expected to return to Miami after the funeral, but Inter Miami do not plan to rush his return. He was originally expected to start Sunday’s Leagues Cup group-stage match against Monterrey but was excused from the fixture following his father’s death.
Meanwhile, tributes and messages of condolence have poured in from across the football world. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Rosario Central and Newell’s Old Boys have all expressed their condolences to Messi and his family.
Jorge Messi largely remained behind the scenes during his son’s extraordinary career but played a significant role in his journey to becoming one of football’s greatest-ever players.
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul also paid tribute to Messi’s father by dedicating his goal to Jorge Messi, adding an emotional moment to the outpouring of support for the Messi family.
