Lionel Messi has dropped one of the biggest hints yet that his legendary football career could soon be over - and it comes amid heartbreak following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.
The 39-year-old Argentina superstar admitted he now has "serious doubts" about continuing to play for much longer after Jorge, who was also his longtime adviser and representative, died last week at 68 following a long illness.
"I don't know what I'll do without you, I don't know how to go on," Messi wrote in an emotional social-media tribute Wednesday. "I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer."
It is a stunning admission from a player who has spent virtually his entire life chasing football glory.
Jorge wasn't simply Messi's father. He had been closely involved in his son's career since the future superstar left Argentina for Barcelona as a teenager, remaining one of the most influential people in his professional and personal life.
The loss also casts Messi's emotional 2026 World Cup campaign in a new light. Messi revealed that his father's wish was one of the reasons he played in the tournament and that he had hoped Jorge would recover enough to watch him compete again.
Messi even broke down after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's opening match while dealing privately with his father's declining health.
Argentina eventually reached the World Cup final but lost to Spain, denying Messi another storybook ending after he famously led his country to the trophy in Qatar in 2022.
Now the question hanging over football is unavoidable: Have we just witnessed Messi's final World Cup - and could his entire career soon be over?
Messi has not officially announced his retirement, so fans shouldn't start planning the farewell just yet. But his unusually candid comments suggest the decision is no longer simply about age, fitness or form.
It's about whether football feels the same without his father beside him.
Support has poured in from across the football world, including from longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who publicly offered Messi encouragement following Jorge's death.
Messi already has almost nothing left to prove: eight Ballon d'Or awards, a mountain of club trophies, Copa América glory and the 2022 World Cup crown that completed his extraordinary résumé.
But after losing the man who helped guide that journey from Rosario to global superstardom, Messi appears to be asking himself a much more personal question.
Is it finally time to stop?
