An Argentine TV presenter has stepped down after inaccurately announcing that Lionel Messi’s father had passed away during Argentina’s opening World Cup match.
Florencia Pena asserted this during a live transmission on the Argentine streaming platform Luzu TV after Argentina’s first group game victory against Algeria.
“I hate to deliver unfortunate news, but Messi’s father has just died. It was unexpected.” During the World Cup,” Pena stated while presenting the show.
The report rapidly circulated on social media before Pena clarified that the details had not been verified.
The Messi family subsequently released a statement affirming that the player’s father, Jorge Messi, is undergoing medical care for an unspecified health issue.
The statement indicated that the 68-year-old is receiving medical care and healing while condemning rumors about his health and urging for privacy during this challenging time.
Pena issued a public apology and stated that she received the information during the program as though it were confirmed news.
“I apologize to the Messi family,” she said in a statement. “I am deeply ashamed to have been involved in this mistake.”
The 51-year-old television personality and actress now says she was given unverified information.
“I have to clarify that this false information was given to me live on air as if it had been checked by the show’s production team, and I trusted it,” Pena wrote on social media on Thursday.
“Even so, I take responsibility for being part of the mistake, and that is why I decided to step aside and end my participation in Luzu.
“I apologize again from the heart; I was wrong.”
Luzu TV also apologized and announced sanctions following the incident, saying the dissemination of sensitive information without proper verification was unacceptable.
Nicolas Occhiato, the show’s host and producer, said: “We at Luzu TV deeply regret what happened on the air during the program El Show de Verano. For our channel, the broadcast of sensitive information without proper prior verification is unacceptable.
“For this reason, Luzu TV management has decided to terminate the employment of all those responsible, and Florencia Pena has decided to step down.
“We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, respectful, and rigorous journalism.”
The dispute arose after Messi netted a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory against Algeria. The 38-year-old showed emotions during the game and afterward mentioned he had gone through “challenging days” for personal matters not related to soccer.
The inaccurate report sparked significant backlash throughout Argentina, as numerous supporters criticized the lack of verification of the information before it aired.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei called it “trash talk” on X, saying that Pena’s “outrageous and unscrupulous, unverified statements on a streaming channel, which would still be outrageous even if the information had been true, since they concern a citizen’s private life, remind us of the impunity with which some individuals believe they can operate simply because they have a microphone or a pen in their hand.”
