An Argentinian TV host stepped down from her role after making the incorrect announcement on live television Lionel MessiHis father died during Argentina 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.Florencia Pena made this statement as a guest on the Luzu TV streaming channel shortly after Argentina’s first match at the World Cup against Algeria. During the broadcast, she informed viewers that Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, had passed away unexpectedly.“I don’t want to break bad news, but Messi’s father just passed away. It was sudden. In the middle of the World Cup,” she said on air.The report was quickly proven to be false, for which Pena publicly apologized and explained how the misinformation reached her during the live program. In a statement posted on X, she said she was told the series’ production team had already verified the information.“I must clarify that this false information was provided to me during a live broadcast which was verified by the show’s production team and I believed it,” she wrote on Friday.“Nevertheless, I take responsibility for being part of the mistake and that’s why I decided to withdraw and end my participation in Luzu. I apologize from the bottom of my heart once again; I was wrong,” she added.Luzu TV also released a statement condemning the broadcast of unverified information and confirming disciplinary measures for the incident. The channel stressed that reporting sensitive news without proper confirmation is unacceptable.“We at Luzu TV deeply regret what happened on air during the program El Show de Verano. It is unacceptable for our channel to broadcast sensitive information without proper prior verification.“For this reason, the management of Luzu TV decided to terminate the employment of all those responsible, and Florencia Pena decided to resign.“We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, rigorous and respectful journalism.”Amid the controversy, Messi’s family released an update on Jorge Messi’s health, confirming that he is currently receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition.“He is currently under medical supervision, recovering and progressing well within the condition he is experiencing,” the family said in a statement.The incident took place just hours after Messi delivered another memorable performance for Argentina. The 38-year-old captain scored a hat-trick in his side’s 3-0 win over Algeria in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Messi appeared emotional during the match and later admitted he had been dealing with “difficult days” due to personal circumstances unrelated to football.Argentina will continue their World Cup campaign against Austria on Monday.
