Costly Blunder! TV Presenter Resigns After False Lionel Messi Report

An Argentine television presenter has stepped down from her role after incorrectly announcing on-air that Lionel Messi's father had passed away during Argentina's opening World Cup match.

The incident occurred when Florencia Pena, hosting a live broadcast on the streaming channel Luzu TV, made the false claim following Argentina's victory over Algeria.

"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," Pena stated during the show.

The erroneous report quickly gained traction on social media before Pena retracted it, admitting the information was unconfirmed. In response, the Messi family issued a statement clarifying that Jorge Messi, the player's father, was alive and receiving medical care for an undisclosed condition.

The family's statement confirmed the 68-year-old was "under medical supervision and recovering" and criticised the rampant speculation about his health, requesting privacy.

Pena, a 51-year-old actress and TV personality, issued a public apology, expressing her regret for the error. "I apologize to the Messi family," she said. "I am deeply ashamed to have been involved in this mistake."

In a later social media post, Pena explained that she had been fed the unverified information live on air. "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," she wrote. "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."

Luzu TV also apologised for the blunder and announced disciplinary measures. Nicolas Occhiato, the show's producer, condemned the broadcast of sensitive information without proper verification as "unacceptable."

"We at Luzu TV deeply regret what happened," Occhiato stated. "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 controversy overshadowed Messi's hat-trick performance in Argentina's 3-0 win. The 38-year-old star appeared emotional during the game and later mentioned he had been going through "difficult days" due to personal matters.

The false report sparked widespread condemnation in Argentina. President Javier Milei described it as "Trash talk" on X, criticising Pena's "outrageous and unscrupulous, unverified statements" and highlighting the "impunity with which some individuals believe they can operate simply because they have a microphone or a pen in their hand."