This Messi was made by his father Jorge

He is one of the brightest stars in football history. The world has seen magic at his feet; records and accolades bow down to him—he is Lionel Messi. But the story of becoming Messi did not begin under the stadium lights; it began in an ordinary house in Rosario, Argentina. There, a father would wake up before dawn and go to work. He toiled day after day. He would return to his family at night. He didn't have big dreams for himself; he wanted a bright future for his son. That father's name was Jorge Horacio Messi.

At 68, Messi's father has passed away after a long battle with illness. Not just as Messi's father, but as one of the most important people in his life, Jorge's departure leaves a particular void. Because Lionel Messi's story is as much about an extraordinary footballer as it is about a father. A father who believed in his son's talent and left his known life to travel to an unknown country. A father who fought to arrange his son's medical treatment. A father who started a new life in Barcelona with a 13-year-old boy and later became one of the most important behind-the-scenes figures in that son's career. The path to where Messi stands today began by holding Jorge's hand.

An ordinary family in Rosario

Jorge Messi was born on January 1, 1958, in Rosario, Argentina. His acquaintance with fame came much later. In his youth, he worked at a metal factory. Life was simple, filled with hard work for the family. He would wake up at 4 AM to go to work and return at dinner time. Jorge and Celia Cuccittini had four children—Lionel Messi, Rodrigo, Matías, and María Sol.

Life with the children was like any other ordinary family. But when the youngest son, Messi, started playing football, everything gradually began to change. Little Leo played in Grandoli, Rosario. His grandmother, Celia, was a great admirer of her grandson's talent. One day, she told Grandoli's coach, Salvador Aparicio, "If you want to win, play my grandson; he will save the match." The coach was worried. Such a small kid, what if he breaks his leg? Jorge would laugh hearing these stories. But he had the belief that there was something special in his son.

The toughest test

At a very young age, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Treatment was necessary. The cost of that treatment was far beyond the family's means. Jorge was then working at the Acindar factory. He tried to get help from various sources. As they struggled to cover the medical costs, the situation became dire. Finally, an opportunity emerged that could change the Messi family's life forever. Barcelona reached out to Messi. But with that opportunity came immense risk. They had to move to Spain with their son. This meant not just changing countries. It meant quitting a job. Leaving a familiar environment. Moving away from extended family. Starting a new life in an unfamiliar country with just a 13-year-old boy.

Jorge still made the decision. He sacrificed his own security for his son's future. He later recalled, "With the help of my workplace and a foundation, we managed to cover Leo's treatment costs for up to two years. After that, the situation became even more difficult. But by then, there was no turning back." Because Jorge had realized that a bright future lay ahead for his son.

The path to Barcelona

From Grandoli to Newell's Old Boys, and from there to Barcelona. As Leo's talent became more evident, Jorge increasingly realised that a major decision had to be made for this boy. Finally, at the age of 13, Messi moved to Barcelona with his father. Jorge took on two responsibilities at once: ensuring his son's medical treatment in a new country and helping him adapt to football.

The entire family could not move together. So this new beginning was as much about separation as it was about joy. A father and his teenage son in an unfamiliar city. None of them knew back then that this journey would one day change the course of football history. If Jorge had not gone to Barcelona with his son that day, perhaps the football world today would have been entirely different.

From father to manager

Messi's story at Barcelona progressed rapidly. Goal after goal in the youth teams. First a promising talent, then a wonder, then a star, and eventually the world's best footballer. While Messi was making his mark on the pitch, Jorge was handling another world off it. He had never trained as a professional agent. But through managing his son's career, he learned contracts, negotiations, clubs, sponsors—everything. Gradually, the father became his son's chief representative.

During Messi's successive contract renewals at Barcelona, Jorge played a crucial role. He protected his son's interests, sat in negotiations, and made decisions. His core philosophy was simple: let Messi focus solely on football. Taking on the outside world's pressure as much as possible and keeping unnecessary off-pitch troubles away from his son was one of Jorge's primary responsibilities.

The world saw Messi; Jorge worked behind the scenes

As Messi's fame grew, Jorge preferred to stay away from the limelight. Even as the father of world football's biggest star, he never brought himself forward. Instead, he tried to keep his son's world as controlled as possible. Alongside Messi's career, contracts, and business, he also prioritised family protection. He was involved in hotels, advertisements, and various football-related commercial ventures. But none of these was ever bigger to him than his son. Jorge's greatest identity was that he was Messi's father.

The father was also the biggest critic

Interestingly, Jorge was never a blind admirer of his son. In Messi's own words, his father was one of his biggest critics. Even after Messi played a fantastic match, Jorge would perhaps point out one mistake. Once, Messi said that even after a good match, his father would tell him, "You made one mistake." It might sound harsh. But for Messi, that was motivation. Because when the world was calling him the best, there was still one person reminding him that he could be even better.

Then came that Saturday

Jorge's final days were spent in Rosario itself. Sometimes in the hospital, sometimes at his own home. His wife Celia was by his side. At times, it seemed his condition was slightly improving. But the illness was severe. Eventually, on Saturday, that battle came to an end. At the age of 68, Jorge passed away.

He was the man who made the biggest decisions of his life for his child. A father who placed his son's dreams above his own. It was through his sacrifices and hard work that today's Lionel Messi was shaped.