Neymar has become the latest football icon to reach out to Lionel Messi following the death of the Inter Miami captain’s father, joining an outpouring of support that began moments after Messi shared an emotional farewell letter on Instagram.
The Brazilian, a former teammate of Messi’s at Barcelona, left a short message of solidarity in the comments:
“Lots of strength to you and your family. A big hug,” Neymar wrote.
The two spent several seasons together at Barcelona, forming part of a celebrated forward line, and their friendship has endured long after Neymar’s departure.
Ronaldo led the tributes
Neymar’s note followed one from Messi’s great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, whose comment was among the first to appear and quickly became the most-liked on the post, gathering more than a million likes.
“A huge hug for you and yours in these hard moments, Leo,” Ronaldo wrote, adding a message of strength.
The gesture carried a personal resonance: Ronaldo lost his own father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, in 2005, when the Portuguese star was 20 and playing for Manchester United.
A wider outpouring
Messi’s tribute drew condolences from across sport, with Luka Modrić, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, David Beckham, Luis Suárez, and Rodrigo De Paul among those who shared messages of support. Beckham, the Inter Miami co-owner, wrote simply that he was sending love to Messi and his family. The post went on to gather more than 17 million likes and neared a million comments.
Messi’s farewell to his father
Jorge Messi — Lionel’s longtime agent and a guiding figure in his career from childhood — died on Saturday at the age of 68 at a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, after an illness. In his letter, published Wednesday, Messi wrote that he still could not believe his father was gone and reflected on the pain of this summer’s World Cup, where Spain beat Argentina in the final, played while Jorge was gravely ill. The Argentine also admitted deep uncertainty about his own future in the game, saying he did not know how he would carry on.