Lionel Messi Doesn’t Know How to Keep Playing Soccer After Dad's Death

“We made it to the final, but you couldn't be there,” the 39-year-old wrote. “I wanted to win it so I could bring it to you and show you a new trophy. I couldn't do it; my legs just gave out. I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never felt right.”

But despite the loss—Argentina’s national team ultimately lost to Spain in the July 19 final—Messi thanked his father for encouraging him to seek one more World Cup win. 

“You have no idea how much we enjoyed every match,” he added. “Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play.”

Nevertheless, the prospect of returning to any pitch without his dad waiting in the wings is something the Argentine isn’t sure he can face. As he revealed, prior to his illness, his dad never missed a single match. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you; I don’t know how to go on,” he admitted. “All I ever did was play soccer, and now I have serious doubts about whether I’ll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and we were so close to the end.”

But for Messi—who shares three sons with wife Antonela Roccuzzo—his dad was so much more than his biggest supporter. 

“You were a father, a friend, and an agent,” he affirmed. “You were always exactly who you needed to be in any given moment, and you never erred. Beyond the occasional argument or disagreement, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out just the way you said they would.”

And though Messi noted he’ll always miss his dad “terribly,” he knows he carries so much of who his dad was. 

“You’ll always be with me—especially in how I raise my own children, because I’m teaching and bringing them up just the way you and Mom did with me,” he added. “Rest in peace and watch over us from above just as you did down here. Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad.”