Messi says goodbye to his father: I'm not sure if I'll play football for much longer

Celebrated Argentine footballer Lionel Messi said today, after the funeral of his father Jorge, that he is "not sure" how much longer he will play football.

"I don't know what I'll do without you. I don't know how to move on. Up until now, I've just been playing football, and now I'm really not sure if I'll be doing it for much longer. You were with me from the very beginning. We were so close to the end. Why didn't you hold on a little longer, so we could finish this together," the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner said in a post on social media.

Jorge Messi, who had been his son Lionel's manager since he was 14, died last Sunday at the age of 69, after a long illness.

A private funeral was held on Sunday at the cemetery in Peres, a suburb of Rosario.

"Dad, I still can't believe you're gone. I'm still not fully aware of it, or rather, I don't want to be. It's hard for me to imagine that I'll never see you again, that we'll never talk again. I know you suffered and that this is the best solution, but you left too soon. We still had so much to enjoy together," Messi said.

During this year's World Cup, Messi cried after scoring the opening goal in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria, over something he said was "completely unrelated to football."

A statement from his family later said Jorge had been facing "health issues."

"You kept asking me to play another World Cup, and just a few days before the start, your condition worsened. It was the first time you would not be present at the tournament, but your mother kept telling me that you would get better and that you would be well enough to travel. I told you that we would reach the final so that you could come. Every time the game ended, I waited for your message and I missed you. That's when I realized how serious the situation was," Messi said.

"However, I kept thinking about getting as far as possible, to give you time to watch the game. We reached the final, and you couldn't be there. I wanted to win to bring you the trophy and show you that new cup. I couldn't; my legs didn't listen to me anymore. This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn't. I couldn't feel right," added the Argentina national team captain.

Messi also stated that his father was a "friend and mentor."

"At all times, you were always exactly the person you were supposed to be and you were never wrong. Despite the occasional disagreement or argument, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out exactly as you predicted. I will miss you very much, but you will always be by my side, especially as I raise my children, because I teach and educate them just as you did with me. Rest in peace and watch over us from above, just as you did here. Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad," Messi said.

Following Messi's emotional announcement, Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo wished the Argentine footballer "a lot of strength" in these "difficult moments".

"I'm sending a big hug to you and yours," Ronaldo said.

Co-owner of Inter Miami, for which Messi plays, David Beckham told the Argentine striker that everyone at the club is with him and his family.