Inter Miami vs León: Is Lionel Messi hinting at quitting football? Here’s what he said

Lionel Messi paid tribute to his late father, Jorge Messi, on Wednesday, describing the difficulty of leading Argentina to the World Cup final and expressing uncertainty over whether he will continue playing soccer.

In a post on Instagram, Messi said he did not know how he would move forward without his father. He also said he had serious doubts about continuing his playing career, having spent his life focused on soccer.

Jorge Messi, who played a key role in his son's career as his agent and managed his business affairs, died Saturday at the age of 68.

World Cup final remains emotional

Messi led Argentina to a runner-up finish at this summer's World Cup. He became emotional after scoring one of his three goals in Argentina's opening match against Algeria and later said his tears were for a reason unrelated to sports.

Messi recalled that his father had repeatedly asked him to play in the World Cup. However, Jorge's condition worsened shortly before the tournament, making it the first World Cup he would not attend.

Messi said his mother continued to reassure him that Jorge would recover and might eventually be able to travel. He also recalled telling his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there.

Messi wanted to win for his father

Messi said he wanted to win the World Cup for Jorge but was unable to do so. He described struggling physically during the tournament and said his legs had nothing left.

The Argentina captain said he had pushed his body beyond its limits but was unable to feel fully fit.

Support for Messi family

Messages of support have been sent to the Messi family following Jorge's death. Messi returned to Argentina and missed Inter Miami's recent Leagues Cup match against Monterrey.

Inter Miami is scheduled to conclude the group phase of the tournament against León on Wednesday night. Coach Guillermo Hoyos said Tuesday that there is no timetable for Messi's return.