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Lionel Messi has said he is “not sure” how much longer he will continue in football following the death of his father.

Messi’s father, Jorge, passed away last week at the age of 68 after a long illness.

Jorge played a major role in Messi’s career and had also served as his agent since the Argentine was 14, overseeing his journey to becoming what many regard as the greatest footballer of all time.

In an emotional tribute, Messi said he did not know how to “carry on” playing without his father, raising the possibility that the 39-year-old could retire.

“I don't know what I'm going to do without you,” Messi wrote.

“I don't know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I'm really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer.

“You were by my side from the beginning; there was so little left until the end. Why couldn't you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?”

Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but he was unable to repeat that feat this summer, as La Albiceleste suffered an extra-time defeat to Spain in the final.

That had already been expected to mark the end of Messi’s international career, with manager Lionel Scaloni adding further uncertainty over his future with Argentina during a tearful post-final press conference.

Messi had still been expected to continue at club level with Inter Miami for the next few years after signing a contract extension with the MLS side until 2028 last autumn.

But as the Argentine star grieves the loss of his father, it is now unclear whether he will decide to extend his playing career any further.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner returned home with his family after Jorge died in a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

He missed Inter Miami’s defeat to Monterrey, a match in which his team-mates wore black armbands and Rodrigo De Paul paid tribute with his goal celebration.

A private funeral was held on Sunday at a cemetery in the town of Perez, on the outskirts of Rosario.

Messi continued in his tribute: “Dad, I still can't believe you're gone. It hasn't sunk in, or rather, I don't want it to.

“It's so hard for me to imagine that I'll never see you again, that we'll never talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.”