Lionel Messi has raised real questions about whether he will continue playing football after admitting to "quite a few doubts" about his future, following the death of his father Jorge last week.

Jorge Messi died aged 68 at a medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina, after a long illness. He had been a constant presence throughout his son's career — from the early days at Barcelona through to international tournaments with Argentina — making the 2026 World Cup the first major tournament he had not attended.

In a tribute posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Messi wrote: "I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to move forward. I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for much longer."

A presence from the very beginning

Jorge's influence on his son's career was profound. According to Messi's own tribute, his father — despite his deteriorating health in the days before the tournament — urged him to play in what proved to be Argentina's ultimately unsuccessful bid to defend their World Cup title. Spain beat Argentina in the final.

"You always asked me to play in the last World Cup and a few days before it started was when you got worse," Messi wrote. "It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament … Every time a match ended, I would wait and hope for your message. That's when I realised how real the situation was."

The emotional weight of those weeks was visible during the tournament itself. Messi had explained at the time that he was going through "a few difficult, complicated days" because of something unrelated to football — a comment that now carries considerably more context.

The numbers behind a historic career

At 39, Messi has accumulated a record that will not be approached for some time. He holds 207 caps for Argentina (debut: August 2005), won the World Cup in 2022, and during this summer's tournament in the United States broke the all-time World Cup scoring record — his goal against Egypt in the last 16 was his 21st at the tournament, his 125th overall for Argentina (that goals-at-a-tournament record was later surpassed by Kylian Mbappé in the third-place play-off, though Messi's overall Argentina tally remains his own). His club record includes 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, and eight Ballon d'Or awards.

He returned to Inter Miami earlier this month, playing in MLS against Columbus at the start of August, having spent time with his father following the World Cup. Whether that MLS appearance proves to be among his last meaningful outings now feels like a genuine question.

What comes next?

Messi's tribute offered no definitive answer on retirement, only uncertainty. "My legs couldn't go on any more," he wrote of the tournament, where he said he had pushed himself beyond his physical limits. "I never felt well … We weren't champions, but you don't know how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play it."

The market will be watching Inter Miami's next confirmed squad announcements for any indication of his plans. For now, Messi's own words suggest the calculus has changed entirely — and that football, for the first time in his life, may no longer feel like the obvious answer to what comes next.

Frequently asked

Is Messi retiring from football?
Messi has not confirmed retirement, but in an Instagram tribute following his father Jorge's death he said he has "quite a few doubts" about whether he will keep playing for much longer. No formal announcement has been made as of 12 August 2026.
When did Messi's father Jorge die?
Jorge Messi died last week (ahead of Messi's Instagram tribute on 12 August 2026) at the age of 68, at a medical clinic in Rosario, Argentina, after a long illness.
How many World Cup goals did Messi score in total?
Messi scored 21 World Cup goals across his career, a record at the time of the 2026 tournament — though France's Kylian Mbappé later surpassed that tally in the third-place play-off. Messi's overall Argentina goals tally stands at 125.