Jorge Messi's absence from the World Cup in June had already attracted attention. "You kept asking me to play in one last World Cup, yet just days before it started, your condition took a turn for the worse. Immediately after the World Cup final defeat against Spain, Messi returned to spend a few days with his family in Rosario, 340 km north of Buenos Aires. - 'Father, friend and agent' -Competing in his sixth World Cup, Messi scored eight goals as he steered his country to the final. After bursting into tears after scoring against Algeria in a group match, Messi had admitted to dealing with "a situation outside of sports".