Lionel Messi bids farewell to father who guided his glittering career

Lionel Messi said goodbye to his father Jorge on Sunday, holding a private ceremony near Rosario, Argentina after Jorge's death following a battle with cancer at age sixty-eight. Dawn reports that Jorge was far more than a parent — he coached a four-year-old Messi at a small local club, uprooted the family to Spain when Barcelona signed the thirteen-year-old prodigy, and later negotiated his contracts through Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami. Teammates including Rodrigo de Paul paid tribute, and the Argentine Football Association ordered a minute of silence and black armbands at matches for the week. Jorge's health had been a source of quiet concern for months, including during Messi's visibly emotional World Cup appearance in June.

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