&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘A Huge Hug to You, Leo’: Cristiano Ronaldo sends heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following father’s death")
Cristiano Ronaldo was quick to comfort Lionel Messi following the Argentine superstar's heartbreaking tribute to his late father, Jorge Messi, who passed away on August 7. Sending his love and support during a painful time, Ronaldo left a touching note on Messi's social media post.
“Huge hug to you and your loved ones in this difficult moment, Leo. Stay strong.❤️🩹” Ronaldo wrote in the comments section of Messi's post.
Messi lost his father weeks after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Messi’s Argentina didn’t lose a game in the lead-up to the successive finals at the showpiece event, only to suffer a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat at the hands of now two-time World Cup winners, Spain.
Messi, who, for the longest time in the tournament, led the goal-scoring chart, stood second to French captain Kylian Mbappe (10) for most goals scored in this edition, netting eight times. His overall World Cup tally, however, reads 21 goals, one shy of Mbappe, whose French side finished fourth in North America.
Even though the Argentine superstar returned to action for Inter Miami days later, his father's death may result in him cutting short his playing career, already in the twilight stage, as he also mentioned in his heartfelt post.
Messi’s Emotional Message for his Father
An emotional Lionel Messi penned an unfeigned message for his father, which reads, “Dad, you kept asking me to play in one last World Cup… just days before it began was when your condition got worse”.
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“It was the first time you weren’t going to be there with me at the 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 World Cup final so you could make the trip; this was my mission once again.
“After every match, I waited for and missed your message. That’s when I realised how serious the situation really was.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about going as far as possible, give you more time and the chance to watch one of the games.
“We reached the final, but you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it so I could bring the trophy to you and show you another one. I couldn’t.
“My legs just couldn’t give me any more.
“This time I tried to push beyond what my body could handle, but I couldn’t.
“I never managed to feel physically right.
“We didn’t become champions, Dad, but you have no idea how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play in it… as you told me, always,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Messi and Ronaldo are the two greatest footballers of all time, gracing this game and sharing top stages for over a decade now. Having faced each other multiple times on the club front, Messi and Ronaldo have never faced each other in a World Cup match.
