Jorge Messi, father and longtime manager of Argentina captain Lionel Messi, has died at the age of 68, as reported by MARCA citing Argentine outlet Infobae. Married to Celia Cuccittini, Jorge was a father of four—Lionel, Rodrigo, Matias, and Maria Sol. After unsuccessful attempts to secure medical treatment in Argentina, Jorge Messi facilitated his son’s move to Barcelona when Lionel was just 13 years old. Despite his monumental influence on Lionel’s career, Jorge consistently shunned the spotlight, granting only a handful of media interviews over the years. The Messi family later stated that Jorge was “under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he presents.”