Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and longtime agent, dies at 68

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Jorge Messi, the father of soccer star and Argentina captain Lionel Messi. has died. He was 68.

Messi died Saturday at a hospital in the central Argentina city of Rosario, according to the Rosario-based Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys.

Jorge Messi was a chemical technician and worked as a steelworker. He played soccer as a midfielder and reached the youth ranks of Newell’s Old Boys but had to abandon the sport to complete his mandatory military service in Argentina.

He played a fundamental role in his third son’s career, serving as his agent and managing his business affairs.