MESSI FAMILY DENIES DEATH CLAIM AFTER TV HOST ERROR

Florencia Peña, host of El Show del Verano on Luzu TV, broadcast false information stating that Jorge Messi had died during a live transmission two days after Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria at the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi had scored a hat-trick in the match and appeared emotional on the pitch afterwards. The Messi family subsequently denied the claim. Peña stepped away from her programme following the backlash and issued a public apology on 19 June.

In her statement posted on X, Peña said she had received the information through her earpiece from the production team during the broadcast and trusted it without independent verification. She expressed regret at repeating the claim without confirmation and stated she bore responsibility for the error. Peña noted she had no access to her phone or computer at the time and relied entirely on what technical staff communicated to her in real time. She wrote that she was "deeply ashamed" to have been "the vehicle for this pain" and apologised to the family for the distressing moment.

The Messi family later clarified that Jorge Messi, aged 68, is managing a health issue and remains under medical supervision whilst recovering. They stressed that only close family members possess accurate information about his condition and called on the public and media to respect their privacy. The family did not provide further detail regarding the nature of his health situation.