Dallas: Lionel Messi’s father is receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, and his family pleaded with the media for “humanity” amid widespread rumours regarding Jorge Messi’s health while his son plays in the World Cup.

The family did not detail the specific medical condition affecting the 68-year-old Jorge Messi.

“Jorge is going through a health situation,” the Messi family said in a statement. “He is currently under medical observation, recovering and progressing favorably within his current condition.”

The 39-year-old Lionel Messi acknowledged he was navigating a difficult personal matter following Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in the team's World Cup opener. The forward appeared visibly emotional after netting the first of his three goals in the match, a score that tied him with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals.

“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to soccer. And those feelings were because of that,” Messi said. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”

The family's press release, issued through Messi's media relations office, was distributed the same day unverified reports of Jorge Messi's death began circulating in Argentina.

“At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity,” the family said. “A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest.”

The release noted that the family would handle any future updates regarding his condition.

Jorge Messi has been an influential figure in his third son's professional career, serving as his longtime representative and directing his commercial ventures away from the pitch. He famously travelled with a young Messi to Spain in the early 2000s for an initial trial at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia.

The elder Messi went on to broker his son's contract extensions with Barcelona, as well as his subsequent high-profile transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He additionally oversaw the athlete's image rights portfolio and diverse investments in real estate, hotels, and restaurants.

In 2016, both Messi and his father were convicted of tax evasion in Spain, though they avoided serving prison sentences because the penalties fell under the two-year threshold.

As Messi remains with the Argentine national team at its training headquarters in Kansas City ahead of Monday's second Group J match against Austria in Dallas, his family conveyed their “sincere gratitude for the outpouring of affection, respect and concern received.”

“We request that the privacy and confidentiality of Jorge and his entire family be respected during this process,” the statement said.

With inputs from AP