Argentine TV presenter Florencia Peña has resigned from Luzu TV after falsely announcing the death of Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, during a live broadcast.
The incident happened shortly after Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Messi scored all three goals in the match.
During the broadcast, Peña told viewers that Jorge Messi had died. She also suggested that the football star might leave the tournament because of the family tragedy. The claim turned out to be false.
Soon after the broadcast, the Messi family released a statement. They confirmed that Jorge Messi is alive and receiving medical treatment for a health condition.
The family said he is recovering under medical supervision. They also criticized the spread of unverified information.
The false report quickly spread across social media. As a result, many fans believed the claim before the family corrected it.
Following public criticism, Peña apologized to the Messi family.
She admitted that she shared information that had not been properly verified. Peña said she received the report during the live show and believed it was accurate.
However, she accepted responsibility for the mistake. She also expressed regret for the distress caused to the Messi family.
Shortly afterward, she announced her resignation from Luzu TV.
Luzu TV also addressed the incident. The network said journalists must verify sensitive information before reporting it. It described the mistake as serious and avoidable.
According to local reports, the broadcaster also removed other staff members linked to the error. The controversy has renewed debate about media responsibility. Experts say news organizations should verify reports before publishing them, especially when they involve health issues or deaths.
The incident also created an unwanted distraction for Lionel Messi during Argentina’s World Cup campaign.
So far, Messi has not commented publicly on the false report.
