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Lionel Messi Mourns the Death Argentina Soccer Legend

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Marcelo Cartaxo | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 10:06 PM ET

Highlight

Argentinian football legend Miguel Angel Russo died.
Lionel Messi sent his farewell.
Boca Juniors’ coach had been at home under medical care since the end of September.

Lionel Messi shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram Stories following the death of Boca Juniors manager Miguel Ángel Russo.

Since the end of September, the 69-year-old coach had been receiving medical care at his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The cause of death was complications related to prostate cancer.

Russo had been battling the illness since 2017, when he was first diagnosed while managing Millonarios in Colombia. He briefly stepped away from football before resuming his managerial career.

The last time Russo was seen in public was on September 23, during a Boca Juniors training session.

As thousands of Argentine fans, along with current and former players, mourned his passing, Lionel Messi took a moment to pay tribute with a message on Instagram.

'' May God have mercy on you, Miguel. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all his loved ones,'' Messi said.

El mensaje de despedida de Leo Messi para Miguel Ángel Russo. pic.twitter.com/WAdd7YxH1g
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) October 9, 2025

Lionel Messi and Miguel Angel Never Worked Togheter

While Lionel Messi and Miguel Angel were active at the same time - but one as a player and the other as a manager - they never shared the field. The Argentinian manager had his first stint with Boca Juniors from 2006 through 2007. Meanwhile, Messi was already the main player at Barcelona.

During the managerial career, Miguel never took over any European club or the Argentina national team. On the other hand, it was a legend for his years of devotion to Boca Juniors.

Miguel Angel was at his third stint as the manager of Boca. Before that, he was at his second time as the San Lorenzo coach.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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