Lionel Messi Posts Letter to Late Father Jorge on Social Media, 'You Left Us Too Soon'

Four days after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi posted a letter remembering.

Messi wrote "you left us too soon" as part of the message on his Instagram in Spanish.

Rafael Guillén of BeInSports.com provided an English-language translation of the post:

"I still can't believe you're gone. I don't fall, or rather, I don't want to fall. It's very difficult for me to imagine that I'm not going to see you anymore, that we're not going to talk anymore. I know you were hurting and it's for the best, but you left too soon. We still had a lot to enjoy together."

Messi also hinted in the letter that his playing future may not last much longer (h/t Guillén).

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," he wrote. "I don't know how to keep going. I only played soccer, and now I have a lot of doubts about whether I'll keep doing it for much longer."

Jorge died on Saturday at the age of 68 due to an unspecified illness. He had been receiving care at a medical center in Rosario, Argentina, prior to his death.

Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario-based youth club that Lionel played with from 1995 to 2000, also posted a message on social media honoring Jorge.

Lionel has taken a leave of absence from Inter Miami in the wake of his father's death. Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos told reporters on Tuesday there is no timetable for Messi to return.