New Delhi, June 19 -- Argentine footballer Lionel Messi's family on Thursday (local time) has asked the media for "humanity" as his father is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness.

The request came as rumours surfaced about Jorge Messi's health while his son competes at the FIFA World Cup 2026. However, Messi's family did not specify the illness the 68-year-old has been suffering from, AP reported.

Speculations over Jorge Messi's health surfaced after the 38-year-old wiped away tears with his shirt after scoring Argentina's ​first goal against Algeria at the World Cup.

The 38-year-old soccer player, after Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in the team's opening FIFA 2026 World Cup match, said that he was going through...