The pain of retirement and loss intertwine: Messi’s mother recalls that poignant question from Jorge
Lionel Messi’s decision to retire from international football was always bound to be an emotional moment for his family.
However, for his mother, Celia Cuccittini, the timing made the situation even more difficult.
Within hours of the announcement that he was ending his career with the Argentina team, Celia revealed that the entire family was struggling to come to terms with the decision.
In a message sent to the America TV program ‘Intrusos’, Celia said, “I am still crying. Even though we knew beforehand, the whole family is deeply saddened; yet, the most important thing is that he is happy.”
But what she said next made the moment even more poignant.
Celia recalled a sentiment her late husband, Jorge Messi, used to express whenever he thought about the day Lionel would eventually retire from the sport.
She said, “His father used to always say, ‘What will I do when he doesn’t play anymore?’ And it seems as though everything happened all at once. It’s unbelievable.”
The significance of those words seems even greater now.
Jorge Messi passed away on August 8 at the age of 68 following a long illness. Throughout Messi’s extraordinary career, he was much more than just a father; he was Messi’s long-time agent and a pivotal figure in the journey that took him from Rosario to Barcelona and eventually to the pinnacle of world football.
And just 23 days after Jorge’s death, Messi announced that his own journey with Argentina had also come to an end.
Interestingly, Messi had made this decision even before losing his father.
The 39-year-old star revealed that he had actually written his retirement message on July 21—just two days after Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
Although Argentina fell short in the final, it was an incredible campaign for the 39-year-old Messi; with eight goals and four assists, he had once again single-handedly led the team from the front. This was one of the best individual World Cup performances we have ever seen. Regardless, this is heartbreaking news for Messi fans around the world.
