Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a 15-word message to his long-term football rival Lionel Messi following the devastating news that his father, Jorge, passed away last week.
Jorge, 68, was confirmed to have passed away on Saturday following a long illness. Just weeks after his son played in the 2026 World Cup final.
Messi was emotional after scoring in Argentina’s first group game against Algeria, with the Inter Miami star later confirming that he cried due to his father’s health issues.
Lionel Messi Breaks Silence After Jorge’s Passing
REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
Messi has already been back on the pitch since finishing second at the World Cup, playing for Inter Miami against Columbus and San Luis. It is now uncertain when he’ll return to action for his club after the devastating loss.
The 39-year-old has now paid an emotional tribute to his father, who always followed him throughout his career. He revealed that his dad wasn’t well enough to travel to the World Cup final to see Argentina vs Spain.
“Every time a match ended, I would wait for and miss your message. That was when I realised how bad things really were. Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about getting as far as possible, just to buy you time so you could see a match.
“We made it to the final, but you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t—my legs just gave out. This time I tried to push through the physical pain, but I couldn’t. I was never able to feel good physically.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Classy Message to Messi
REUTERS/Stringer
Ronaldo, who has competed with Messi throughout his career to be recognised as the best on the pitch, showed the level of respect the two icons have for each other. He responded to Messi’s lengthy tribute on social media, wishing him and his family well in the tough time they are experiencing.
The Portugal international said: “Huge hug to you and your loved ones in this difficult moment, Leo. Stay strong.”
Messi’s future in football looks uncertain. At 39 years old, the iconic Argentine is already in the twilight of his career, but his letter included a hint that he may be closer to the end than some thought.
”I don’t know what I’m going to do without you; I don’t know how to move forward. I only played football, and now I have serious doubts that I’ll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and we were so close to the end. Why couldn’t you hold on just a little longer so we could finish together?”
He signed off the emotional statement by simply saying: “I love you, Dad.”
One of the finest African footballers of all time, striker Samuel Eto’o started his senior career at Real Madrid, although he spent much of his three-year spell with the club away on loan. Mallorca, who initially took him on a temporary basis in 2000, made the move permanent later that year.
Eto’o developed into a highly promising player in La Liga with Mallorca, establishing himself as a dependable goalscorer and catching the attention of Real Madrid’s biggest rivals. In 2004, the Cameroonian joined Barcelona, spending the following five years at the club and developing into one of the world’s leading strikers.
During his time with Barca, Eto’o collected three La Liga titles and lifted the Champions League trophy twice. Barcelona completed a European treble in 2008/09, and Eto’o would achieve the same feat in the following campaign after joining Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.
Eto’o moved to Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala in 2011 before making his first switch to the Premier League two years later. He spent one season at Chelsea before joining Everton when his contract expired, leaving the Toffees and English football in 2015. During the final four years of his playing career, Eto’o represented Sampdoria, Antalyaspor, Konyaspor and Qatar SC before retiring in 2019.
Samuel Eto’o Club Career Stats
Playing Career
1997-2019
Appearances
754
Goals
368
Assists
117
Notable Clubs
Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea
The former striker has continued to remain involved in football and Eto’o has offered plenty of his views, including in 2021 when, as reported by AS via Squawka, he revealed which player he believed could challenge Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or record.
Eto’o Predicted Bright Future For Real Madrid Ace
In 2021, Kylian Mbappe was in his fourth season with Paris Saint-Germain, having arrived from Monaco and been tasked, alongside stars such as Lionel Messi and Neymar, with helping the club win the Champions League. Although only 23 at the time, Mbappe had already won the World Cup and established himself among the finest players in his position.
“He (Kylian Mbappe) is there and it has arrived at a good moment, in which Messi and Cristiano (Ronaldo), the gods of football, are in the night of their careers due to age and Mbappe is arriving. I hope he will be the biggest for the next 10 or 15 years. He has everything to be this unique player that soccer needs after these two monsters.”
Mbappe remained with PSG for another three seasons, failing to win either the Ballon d’Or or the Champions League before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024. The Parisians, in their first campaign without the French forward, secured their first Champions League title, while Mbappe did not win a major trophy during his debut season in Madrid despite producing strong individual performances.
Real Madrid are not accustomed to going without silverware, but PSG have since gone back-to-back in Europe while Mbappe is still waiting for a major trophy in Spain. Mbappe could still make a push for the Ballon d’Or, although surpassing Messi’s record of eight victories would require an extraordinary level of achievement.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
(All stats are from Transfermarkt and are correct as of 13-08-26)
Arsenal have held talks with Galatasaray over a deal to sign striker Victor Osimhen, according to reports.
The Gunners are understood to be in the market to strengthen their attack this summer, despite winning the Premier League for the first time since 2004 and reaching the Champions League final last season, scoring over 100 goals in all competitions in the process.
But after missing out on Morgan Rogers, and with the future of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli in question, Mikel Arteta is keen to provide more competition in the striker position for Viktor Gyokeres, and a move for the Nigerian has now been spoken about with the Turkish champions.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Arsenal and Galatasaray have held formal talks about a deal that could take Osimhen to the Emirates Stadium.
Irish superstar Conor McGregor wasted no time in laying out a game plan for success for his fellow Irishman, Ian Machado Garry, ahead of his welterweight title showdown with Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on Saturday night.
The Notorious is no stranger to UFC gold, having won titles in two weight divisions. Few other fighters can boast that achievement, but current welterweight champion Makhachev is one of them, having previously held the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Having won his last 16 straight fights, Makhachev is understandably a heavy favourite for the contest. Garry lost to fellow top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024, but still holds a 10-1 record inside the Octagon.
Conor McGregor’s Message to Ian Garry Ahead of UFC 330
Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images
McGregor and Garry have had a strained relationship at times over the years, with Ian previously being linked as a potential opponent for Conor prior to his injury-based loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 last month.
Despite their past differences, McGregor unleashed a burst of trademark Irish encouragement after Makhachev and Garry went face-to-face for the first time on fight week for the first time in front of the Rocky Statue in Philadelphia.
Responding to a video of the face-off, McGregor jumped to social media with a line that caught fire: “Come on Garry, target that big mallet!” referring to Garry aiming straight for Makhachev’s head.
Why Conor McGregor is Supporting Ian Garry at UFC 330?
Screenshot: UFC Instagram
Conor knows plenty about winning UFC championships in devastating fashion after claiming both of his world titles via early stoppages. However, his interest in the bout runs deeper than national pride; as the first two-division champion in UFC history and a central figure in the long-running feud between Ireland and Dagestan, he knows exactly what this fight represents.
In the most famous meeting between fighters from the two countries, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229 in the most-watched UFC event ever, drawing an estimated 2.4 million pay-per-view buys in the United States and over four million people watching the live broadcast in Russia during the pay-per-view era of the UFC.
Now the spotlight shifts to Garry, who steps into UFC 330 not just as the obvious title challenger, after defeating Carlos Prates on short notice in Kansas City, and former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in Qatar last November, but as Ireland’s newest hope of finally breaking Dagestan’s streak. His opponent, Makhachev, is Khabib’s protégé.
McGregor’s response to the clip wasn’t just advice; it was a symbolic passing of the torch. He’s urging Garry to bring the aggression, embrace the moment, and swing boldly at a champion who represents the same region that once handed McGregor his most painful defeat.
