Presenter steps down after mistakenly saying Lionel Messi’s dad passed away during the World Cup
An Argentine TV host had to step down after wrongly saying that Lionel Messi’s dad had died.
Early Wednesday morning, Messi showed fans why he’s still one of the best players in the world with an amazing performance in Argentina’s 2026 World Cup opener. The Inter Miami star scored three goals as Argentina won 3-0 against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.
Messi must have felt on top of the world after the match. He tied Miroslav Klose’s record for the most World Cup goals and became the oldest player ever to score a hat trick in a World Cup game.
So, it must have been a huge shock for him to hear the false news that his father had passed away just a day later. Argentine TV host Florencia Peña made the wrong report live on Luzu TV’s “El Show del Verano” on Thursday.
“I don’t want to share bad news, but Messi’s father just died,” Peña said, adding, “He’s going to have to leave the World Cup.”
Soon after, the Messi family spoke out, criticizing the careless reporting and confirming that Jorge Messi is alive, though he is dealing with some health problems. The family explained, “He is under medical care, recovering well.” They also expressed their upset at how this private matter was handled by the media.
Peña faced a lot of backlash for her false report and apologized in an Instagram story. She said the wrong information was given to her live on air by the show’s production team, and she trusted it.
“I’m very sorry to the Messi family for the pain this caused. I feel ashamed to have spread this news,” she said. Peña also took responsibility for the mistake and said she will step down from the show.
Luzu TV also apologized and said they had fired everyone responsible for the mistake. The station didn’t say if Peña quit on her own or was asked to leave, but they promised to keep being careful and respectful in their reporting.