Cristiano Ronaldo has offered his condolences to longtime rival Lionel Messi following the death of Messi's father, Jorge, who died Saturday at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer, in a gesture that underscored the mutual respect between two players whose rivalry has defined more than a decade of world football.

Jorge Messi died at Sanatorio Centro, a hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, according to a statement from the medical center. Dr. Carlos Mackey, the hospital's medical director, confirmed that Jorge Messi passed away in the early hours of the morning and said no further details about the cause of death would be released, citing respect for the family's privacy. Local media in Argentina had reported that Jorge Messi had been battling cancer.

A post shared by instagram

A post shared by instagram

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Ronaldo reached out to Messi directly with a message of support. "Huge hug to you and your loved ones in this difficult moment, Leo. Stay strong," Ronaldo wrote. The message added to a wave of tributes from across the sport, with players including Neymar, Luka Modrić and Carlos Alcaraz also responding to Messi's own public tribute to his father.

Messi broke his silence on the loss with an emotional letter posted to Instagram, in which he described the difficulty of........

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