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Jorge Messi, Father and Agent of Lionel Messi, Dies at 68

morning · · thread: Argentina Secures Silver Medal Amid Internal Turmoil Following World Cup Final Loss

7 sources across 5 countries

Who reported this

  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • La Nacion Argentina · Centre-right · Saguier family
  • CNN United States · Centre-left · Warner Bros. Discovery
  • Associated Press United States · Centre · Non-profit news cooperative
  • Folha de S.Paulo Brazil · Centre · Grupo Folha (Frias family)
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • Le Monde France · Centre-left · Fonds pour l'independance de la presse

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Jorge Messi, the father and longtime agent of football star Lionel Messi, died at the age of 68 in the early hours of Saturday, August 8. He passed away at Sanatorio Centro in Rosario, Argentina, where he had been hospitalized due to health complications. The medical center and the family have declined to release specific details regarding the cause of death to preserve the family's privacy. Tributes have poured in from the global football community, including the Argentine Football Association, FC Barcelona, and Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario club where Lionel Messi began his career.

Jorge Messi was a central figure in his son's rise to fame. A former metallurgical worker, he served as Lionel's first coach and later became his primary business manager and representative. He played a critical role in securing Lionel's move to FC Barcelona at age 13, a transition that allowed the young athlete to receive necessary treatment for a growth hormone deficiency. Lionel Messi has previously described his father as a constant pillar and a critical voice who pushed him to improve. The two shared a close bond, characterized by mutual support during the difficult early years of Lionel's career in Spain.

While most reports focus on his role as a supportive father and professional guide, some outlets highlight different aspects of his life. Center and center-left reports mention past legal controversies, specifically a 2013 Spanish tax evasion case involving image rights that was settled with fines. Meanwhile, center-right coverage emphasizes his humble beginnings as a laborer and his status as a local hero in Rosario. In Argentina, the event also took a political turn. President Javier Milei used social media to express support for Lionel Messi while criticizing public figures he claimed led an anti-Messi campaign during the 2026 World Cup.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets highlighted his professional influence as an agent and detailed the legal controversies regarding tax evasion in Spain.
Centre
These reports provided a balanced overview of his role as a manager and father while mentioning past tax disputes.
Centre-right
These outlets focused on the emotional bond between father and son, Jorge's humble working-class roots, and the local impact in Rosario.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.