TV presenter quits after false Messi father death claim: I trusted it

Lionel Messi in action. (FILE photo)An Argentinian TV presenter has quit her role after falsely reporting that Lionel Messi’s father had passed away after the country’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Algeria. Florencia Pena made the claim on the Argentinian streaming channel Luzu TV, saying on a live broadcast that Messi’s father had died and that his death was “sudden”.“I don’t want to bring bad news, but Messi’s father has just passed away. It was sudden. In the middle of the World Cup,” she said. Pena later issued a public apology, saying the information had been relayed to her during the broadcast and that she believed it to be true. “I must clarify that this false information was provided to me during the live broadcast as verified by the production team of the show, and I trusted it,” she wrote on X on Friday. Pido perdón a la familia Messi por el momento espantoso que imagino que están viviendo. Estoy muy avergonzada de haber sido el vehículo para este dolor. Tengo que aclarar que esta falsa información me fue brindada en medio del vivo como chequeada por cucaracha por la producción… — Florencia Peña (@Flor_de_P) June 18, 2026 “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 apologise again from the heart; I was wrong,” she added. Luzu TV also apologised for the incident and announced disciplinary action, saying the dissemination of sensitive information without proper verification was unacceptable. The channel’s host and producer, Nicolas Occhiato, 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.Story continues below this ad “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.” Messi’s family had issued a statement confirming that the footballer’s father, Jorge Messi, was receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition. “At this time, he is under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within the condition he is experiencing,” the statement said.Story continues below this ad The controversy came after Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria. The 38-year-old appeared emotional during the match and later said he had experienced “difficult days” for personal reasons unrelated to football. Argentina next face Austria on Monday.