Lionel Messi's mother shares emotional message after father's death

Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, died at the age of 68 after a period of health problems, according to Argentine media reports. The death prompted an outpouring of grief within the Messi family. Argentine television host Marina Calabro said on her program on América TV that she exchanged a brief written message with Messi's mother, Celia Cuccittini, hours before Jorge Messi's funeral. Calabro shared the mother's words, in which she wrote that she was praying to God to help her face the situation as best as she could. Jorge Messi had long been regarded as one of his son's earliest and most important supporters, standing alongside him from his first steps in football. He was seen as playing a defining role in Lionel Messi's development into one of the most celebrated players in the history of the sport.