Messi bids final farewell to his father

Argentine football star Lionel Messi has attended the funeral of his father Jorge Messi. Jorge passed away at the age of 68 after a long battle with cancer.

Jorge Messi's funeral was held on Sunday at the Perez El Prado cemetery near Rosario, Argentina. The private family gathering was attended by Messi's close relatives as well as several of his Argentina national team teammates.

Since the news of Jorge's death spread, Messi's teammates have been sending messages of support. According to media reports, Messi's close friend and Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul also travelled to Argentina to attend the funeral.

Earlier on Saturday, after scoring in Inter Miami's 2-1 defeat to Monterrey, De Paul removed his shirt to reveal Messi's number 10 jersey — a gesture seen as a tribute to Messi's father.

The cause of Jorge Messi's death has not been officially disclosed, but local media reported that he had been battling cancer for a long time.

Outside the Perez El Prado cemetery, fans left messages of condolence for Messi and his family, including "Stay strong Leo, we love you" and "Stay strong, Messi family." A large bouquet of flowers was also placed at the cemetery entrance.

Jorge Messi's absence during the World Cup in June had also sparked discussion. At that time, various rumours about his health circulated, prompting Messi's family to urge the media to be more humane regarding the private matter.

After scoring against Algeria in the World Cup, the 39-year-old Messi became emotional and revealed that he was going through a difficult time in life outside of football.