Argentine presenter Florencia Pena resigns after falsely announcing Messi's father had died on live TV

Argentine TV presenter Florencia Pena has resigned from Luzu TV after falsely announcing on live television that Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge, had died — a claim that prompted an apology from both Pena and the broadcaster and a statement from the Messi family clarifying Jorge’s true condition.

Pena made the erroneous claim during Luzu TV’s El Show del Verano, apparently prompted by Messi’s emotional reaction after scoring the first of his three goals against Algeria. “I don’t want to break bad news, but Messi’s father just died,” she told viewers. “Right in the middle of the World Cup, he’s going to have to leave.”

In a statement issued later on Thursday, Pena said she was “deeply ashamed” of what had transpired and apologised directly to the Messi family. She maintained that the false information had been passed to her during the live broadcast and verified by the show’s production team, but accepted personal responsibility nonetheless. “Even so, I take responsibility for being part of the mistake, and that’s why I decided to step aside and end my participation in Luzu,” she said. “I apologise again from the heart; I was wrong.”

Luzu TV also issued a public apology, describing the broadcast of unverified information as “unacceptable” and confirming it had parted ways with all those responsible for the incident. “For our channel, broadcasting sensitive information without proper prior verification is unacceptable,” the broadcaster said.

The Messi family broke their silence on Thursday, confirming that Jorge is facing a “health situation” but stressing that he is under medical observation and “recovering and progressing favorably within his current condition.” The family used the statement to call for restraint from the media. “At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity,” they said. “A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest.”