Messi shared an emotional post on social media following his father’s death, prompting messages of support from fans and fellow football stars around the world.
Ronaldo also responded with a message expressing his sympathy for Messi and his family and sending them a heartfelt embrace during the difficult time.
The comment quickly attracted millions of likes. Within less than three days of being posted, it had received more than 6.4 million likes, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.
Ronaldo previously held the record for the platform’s most-liked comment. In 2024, he congratulated Kylian Mbappé on his move to Real Madrid, with the comment eventually surpassing six million likes by the end of 2025.
Messi paid tribute to his father Jorge Messi in an emotional message on Wednesday. Jorge Messi died at the age of 68.
Messi said he was still struggling to accept that his father was no longer alive and described it as extremely difficult to imagine that he would never see or speak to him again.
The football star said he knew his father had been suffering and that his condition had deteriorated, but he still felt that his death had come too soon. He said they had believed they had more time to spend together and more moments to celebrate.
Messi also spoke about his final World Cup and recalled how his father had repeatedly encouraged him to play in the tournament. However, his father’s health deteriorated further just days before the competition began, meaning it was the first World Cup Messi attended without him.
Following his father’s death, Messi also expressed uncertainty about his future in football. He said he did not know how life would continue without his father and acknowledged that he had begun questioning how much longer he would continue playing.
Ronaldo and Messi spent years at the centre of one of football’s greatest individual rivalries. Their achievements and competition dominated the sport for more than a decade.
But Ronaldo’s message following Messi’s personal loss offered a reminder that, beyond their rivalry on the pitch, empathy and human connection can transcend sporting competition.
