Lionel Messi said goodbye to his father, Jorge Messi, at an intimate ceremony held in the Argentine city of Rosario on Sunday, alongside family members and friends.
Jorge Messi died on Saturday at the age of 68 in a clinic in Rosario. He was his son's agent and had been battling an illness since the period of the World Cup.
Tight security at the cemetery
According to the newspaper Clarin, the El Prado cemetery had a large security operation in place to protect the privacy of the ceremony. Only close friends and family members of Messi were allowed to remain in the chapel.
Messi was seen walking with his head down and his hands in his pockets. His wife, Antonela, appeared supported by relatives. The couple arrived in Argentina on a private plane on Saturday night, traveling from Miami, where they live.
Family leaves separately
Rodrigo, one of Messi's brothers, was the only one to leave the ceremony through the cemetery's main entrance. The Argentine national team star and the rest of the family left through a reserved area.
