Messi breaks silence on death of father Jorge as Ronaldo shows class

Lionel Messi has spoken for the first time following the heartbreaking loss of his father Jorge - simply stating: "Te amo [I love you], pa."

Jorge died at the age of 68 following a long illness with his death confirmed on Saturday. He passed away in a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina

He had been serving as his son's agent since he was 14 and was key to his move to Barcelona and remained a constant support during Messi's rise to becoming the world's greatest player - and arguably the best ever.

Messi has now spoken on the tragic loss and said: "I want to sincerely thank everyone for the love, respect, and immense consideration you showed my family and me during this painful time following my father's passing.

"Thank you for being there for us, for every message, every gesture, and above all, for respecting our grief and our privacy."

Messi's great rival Cristiano Ronaldo also sent his condolences. He wrote: "A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength."

David Beckham, owner of Inter Miami where Messi now plays his club football, added: "We are with you and your family, Leo, always."

Messi posted a heartbreaking letter to his dad following his death. It read: "Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It hasn’t sunk in, or rather, I don’t want it to sink in. It’s very hard for me to imagine that I won’t see you anymore, that we won’t talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that it’s for the best, but you left way too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.

"You asked me so much to play in this last World Cup, and a few days before it started was when you got worse. It was the first time you weren't going to be at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you were going to get better and that you’d be well enough to travel. I kept telling you we were going to reach the final so you could make the trip.

"Every time a match ended, I would wait for and miss your message. That was when I realised how bad things really were. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking about getting as far as possible, just to buy you time so you could see a match. We made it to the final, but you couldn't be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn't—my legs just gave out. This time I tried to push through the physical pain, but I couldn't. I was never able to feel good physically.

"When I arrived home, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldn't talk about anything that happened. You couldn't enjoy any of it. We didn't become champions, but you have no idea how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I needed to be there and play it.

"I'm telling you this because it was the only thing we couldn't talk about, since you already know everything else. We talked every day, and we saw each other whenever my commitments allowed.

"I don’t know what I’m going to do without you; I don’t know how to move forward. I only played football, and now I have serious doubts that I’ll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and we were so close to the end. Why couldn't you hold on just a little longer so we could finish together?

"I know your happiness was seeing your family doing well—your wife, your children—and, above all (without the others finding out), watching me play...

"It was always like that ever since I was a little kid. You would take me to every training session right after getting home from work. Mom took me to a lot of them too because you were working.

"Naturally, you never missed a single match. How you suffered watching me and how you enjoyed it, even if you were never one to shower me with praise.

"You were a father, a friend, and an agent. You were always the person you needed to be in every moment, and you were never wrong about anything. Beyond a few arguments or disagreements, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out just as you said they would.

"I’m going to miss you so much, but you will always be present, especially in how I raise my kids, because I teach and educate them the same way you both raised me.

"Rest in peace, and look after us from above just as you did down here. Thank you for everything.

"I love you, Dad."

Jorge supported his local team Newell's Old Boys and his son joined the club when he was seven years old. The family relocated to Spain in February 2001 once Messi was signed by Barcelona and the age of 13. Messi's mother and three siblings soon moved back to Rosario, but his father stayed with him in Barcelona.

A host of clubs and organisations paid tribute to Jorge with Newell's Old Boys among them. They said on social media: "Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini.