Lionel Messi reveals doubts about his future in emotional letter to late father

Lionel Messi has opened up about his uncertain future in soccer, admitting he now has doubts about how much longer he’ll continue playing after the passing of his father, Jorge Messi.

The Inter Miami forward shared an emotional letter dedicated to his father four days after his passing, offering the clearest look yet at how deeply the loss has affected him.

In the letter, Messi wrote: “I only played soccer, and now I have quite a few doubts that I will continue to do so for a long time to come.” He went on to add: “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, I don’t know how to continue,” laying bare just how central his father’s presence had been to both his life and his career.

While Messi’s words stopped short of confirming an outright retirement, the tone of the letter has fueled speculation over how much longer he intends to keep playing.

Messi’s World Cup heartbreak, and the emotional promise behind it

Messi’s account carries even more weight given how his tournament actually went. At 39 years old, he delivered arguably the finest World Cup of his career, scoring eight goals and adding four assists across six appearances. In the letter, he revealed the promise that fueled him through it all: “I told you we’d reach the final so you could travel”.

That hope never came true. Jorge’s health worsened just before the tournament began, and as the messages Messi waited for after every game grew scarcer, he understood how serious the situation had become.

Argentina did reach the final but were beaten 1-0 in extra time by Spain, where Messi admitted to battling physical problems in a match in which he looked exhausted. “I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t — my legs had nothing left,” he wrote.

Even with his career now hanging in the balance, Messi closed the letter the way he opened it — not as a player, but as a son. He signed off promising his father would remain present in his life beyond the game, especially in raising his own children, a quiet reminder that whatever comes next for his career, this chapter was never really about soccer at all.