Father of soccer star Lionel Messi dies at 68 in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES \u2014 Jorge Messi, the father of soccer star Lionel \u200bMessi, died on Friday night at the age of 68 at a medical clinic in the Argentine city \u200cof Rosario after a long illness, the Argentine footballer's family confirmed to Reuters.Jorge \u2060spent his final months \u200balternating between a medical center \u2060in Rosario and his home, accompanied by his wife \u200cCelia and his children \u200cRodrigo, Mat\u00edas and Mar\u00eda Sol, the family said.Lionel Messi \u2060spent time with his father \u2060after the World Cup before rejoining his club, Inter Miami, for whom he returned to action a week ago.Jorge closely accompanied his son Lionel throughout his career, beginning with his early years at Barcelona. He acted as \u200ca crucial pillar of support and, \u200bfor several years, served as his representative."I always needed my dad's approval, ever since I was a kid. After every match, I'd ask him what he thought of how I played," the global soccer star said previously.During the World Cup, the captain of the Argentine national team \u200bexperienced mixed emotions after scoring a hat trick in the opening \u200cmatch against Algeria, \u200cbreaking \u2060down in tears while celebrating his first goal.Later, at a press conference, Lionel explained that his tears were due to "something unrelated to football" after going through "a few difficult, complicated days."Days \u200clater, the family issued \u200ba statement regarding Jorge's "health situation", informing \u200cthe public that \u2060he was \u200bundergoing medical treatment.