Lionel Messi said on Wednesday he is having doubts about continuing his career following the death of his father last week.

Messi's father, Jorge, died last week aged 68 at a medical clinic in the Argentine city of Rosario after a long illness.

"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 quite a few doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for much longer," Messi wrote in a tribute on Instagram.

"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?"

Jorge closely accompanied his son Lionel throughout his career, beginning with his early years at Barcelona. He acted as a crucial pillar of support and, for several years, served as his representative.