The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has suspended all professional commitments and returned to Argentina. No return date to Inter Miami has been set, with family now his sole priority.
Lionel Messi, the Argentine footballer and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, has suspended his career indefinitely. The decision comes after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away at the age of 68 in a clinic in Rosario following a long battle with illness.
Jorge Messi was much more than a father. He was his first advisor, agent, and support from the very beginning, present at every key stage of his rise. From his early days at Newell's Old Boys to the move to Spain, it was Jorge who made the sacrifices that allowed his son to pursue his dream and shape one of the most magnificent careers in football history.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, citing reports from the Argentine press, Messi has suspended all professional commitments with Inter Miami to be with his family. He has not set a return date, a clear sign that football has dropped down his list of priorities.
Messi cut short his commitments in the United States as soon as he heard the news and returned to Argentina. The funeral was held in complete privacy in Rosario. His father's health had been a source of great concern for the family during the last World Cup in the U.S., and numerous footage from that period captured the emotions that overwhelmed the Argentine captain whenever he spoke about family difficulties.
Several Argentine national team players are expected to visit Messi, including Leandro Paredes, Nicolás Otamendi, and Ángel Di María, highlighting the importance of Jorge Messi in his son's life and the special place the Messi family holds in Argentine football.
Approaching his thirty-ninth birthday, Messi finds himself at an unprecedented moment in his brilliant career. The priority is no longer sporting but deeply personal. Although nothing suggests he has definitively decided to end his career, the decision to take an indefinite break opens a period of great uncertainty.
The Argentine press is already speculating that he could stop playing for an extended period, and the Inter Miami star has given no indication of a possible return to the pitch. After more than twenty years dedicated to the highest level of football, Messi can now take the time he needs. Only then will he decide whether to continue his American adventure or step further away from the game.
