An Argentine television presenter resigned after falsely reporting on-air that Lionel Messi’s father had died, forcing the Messi family to publicly deny the claim and condemn media speculation about his health.
Florencia Peña made the comment during a Thursday broadcast of Argentina’s Luzu TV show “El Show del Verano.”
“I don’t want to break bad news, but Messi’s father just died,” Peña said, according to Deadline.
“Florencia Peña”
Porque así fue el momento en el que dio la noticia de que falleció Jorge Messi, el padre de Lionel Messi. Luego tuvo que pedir disculpas por dar INFORMACIÓN SIN CHEQUEAR.
pic.twitter.com/anjb3jC8L6— Tendencias Deportes (@TendenciasDepor) June 18, 2026
Messi’s family subsequently confirmed that his father was dealing with a health issue but denied reports of his death.
“He is currently under medical supervision, recovering, and progressing favorably within his current condition,” the statement read. “Given the versions, rumors, and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep displeasure at the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private family matter.”
Peña apologized and announced her resignation in a post on X hours later.
“I apologize to the Messi family for the awful moment I imagine they are going through. I am deeply ashamed to have been the vehicle for this pain,” the statement began. “I must clarify that this false information was provided to me during the live broadcast, as verified by the production team of the show, and I trusted it. 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. I apologize again from the heart; I was wrong.”
Pido perdón a la familia Messi por el momento espantoso que imagino que están viviendo. Estoy muy avergonzada de haber sido el vehículo para este dolor.
Tengo que aclarar que esta falsa información me fue brindada en medio del vivo como chequeada por cucaracha por la producción…
— Florencia Peña (@Flor_de_P) June 18, 2026
Peña is not the first commentator to face consequences for mistakes during the World Cup. Turkish commentator Murat Ekrem Çimen was suspended from TRT after spending the first few minutes of an Iran-New Zealand match mixing up the two teams, describing New Zealand’s attacks as Iran’s and vice versa.
About Manny Soloway
Manny Soloway is a Iowa based writer focusing on TV ratings. He is also the founder of the TV Media Blog substack.