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Argentina football star Lionel Messi has bid farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, at a private funeral in Argentina following his death at 68 after a battle with cancer.
Messi arrived in Argentina late on Saturday on a private flight from Miami with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their children.
He has since remained with close family members.
A private ceremony was held on Sunday at El Prado cemetery in Perez, near Rosario, with some of Messi’s Argentina teammates expected to attend.
Fans gathered outside the cemetery to show their support, leaving messages including “Stay strong, Leo, we love you” and “Stay strong, Messi family.”
Messi’s teammates have also rallied around their captain following the announcement of Jorge’s death late Friday at a clinic in Rosario.
Boca Juniors midfielder Leandro Paredes said it would be important for Messi’s teammates to be with him.
“It will surely do him good for us to be there,” Paredes said on Saturday.
Messi’s Inter Miami teammate and close friend Rodrigo de Paul also paid tribute to him after scoring in Miami’s 2-1 defeat to Monterrey.
De Paul removed his shirt to reveal a Messi number 10 jersey.
Jorge’s cause of death was not officially disclosed, although local media reported that he had been battling cancer.
His absence during the World Cup in June had raised concerns, prompting Messi’s family to ask the media for “humanity” over reports about his health.
Messi later acknowledged that he had been dealing with difficult personal circumstances during the tournament.
“I went through a few difficult, complicated days,” he said, thanking his teammates and the Argentina delegation for supporting him.
Jorge played a major role in Messi’s rise to global football stardom.
He introduced his son to football at the age of four and later became his first coach and agent.
When Barcelona invited 13-year-old Messi to Spain in 2000, Jorge left his job, wife and other children in Argentina to accompany his son.
Messi later recalled how difficult the move had been for both of them, saying they would “pretend we were both fine” while struggling privately.
Jorge went on to manage Messi’s career and negotiate major contracts during his time at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
Tributes have poured in from across the football world, including clubs Messi has represented and the Spanish Football Federation.
The Argentine Football Association has also ordered a minute’s silence and black armbands at matches across all age groups during the week.
