Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in the World Cup, but despite a successful first match, he struggled with tears captured by photographers during the match.
After scoring the first goal against Algeria in the 18th minute, the 38-year-old was surrounded by his teammates, who celebrated before they noticed him wiping away tears. "Why did I cry? It was something that had nothing to do with football", said Messi. "I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates for always standing by me and giving me a lot of strength to get through it", Messi said at the time, but it was later revealed that the reason was his father's health condition.
Messi's family issued a public statement on Thursday explaining that Jorge has health problems after his son was seen in tears at Argentina's matches, but before the family could even make a statement, host Florencia Pena told viewers on Luzu TV's El Show del Verano: "I don't want to give bad news, but Messi's father just died".
Florencia Peña was the fake news of the death of Jorge Messi on Luzu TV.
➡️The actress and conductor, was informed al aire y minutos más tarde that she had to leave.
"Me lo tiraron por acá, ojala sea fake. Esto es lo que está pasando hoy en día con la comunicación" pic.twitter.com/kW6SKFZMzN This is what is happening today with the communication, and this is what is happening today with the communication.
Televisión Argentina (@teleargentinaOK) June 18, 2026 This is a list of television programs currently broadcast by Televisión Argentina.
Her information turned out to be wrong, for which she apologized for the error and said that she was "deeply ashamed" of what had happened. She then left her job. "I apologize to the Messi family for the terrible moment they are experiencing. I am deeply ashamed that I have been the bearer of this pain", she said.
"I have to explain that I came across this false information during the live broadcast, the production team confirmed it and I believed them. However, I take my part of the responsibility for the error, so I decided to resign and end my cooperation with TV Luz. Once again, I sincerely apologize, I made a mistake", Pena added. While the false news spread on the Internet, a few moments later on the air Pena tried to mitigate the matter: "There are many rumors, it's all on the X network, this has not been confirmed by any media, this is an explanation for every case".
OFFICIAL: Messi family statement ️
"The Messi family informs that Jorge Messi is currently going through a health situation.
"At this time, he is under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favorably within the condition he is experiencing.
"In the light of the... pic.twitter.com/JyRwkozyCX
I'm not going to be able to do it.
After the show, she was visibly shocked in an interview with America TV, reiterating how appalled she was by her mistake. "I was on the live show. I didn't have a phone or a computer, I had no idea what was going on. The production team told me, 'This is happening.' I repeated it, and then they said, 'Wait, wait, it's not confirmed.' I'm all shaken up. I'm so ashamed, this has never happened to me", Pena said as she left the studio.
I apologize to the Messi family for the amazing moment I imagine they are living.
I have to clarify that this false information was provided to me in a live media as checked by the cucaracha for the production...
Florencia Peña (@Flor_de_P) June 18, 2026 This post is part of our special coverage Mexico.
"We deeply regret the incident that occurred in our program. It is unacceptable for our television to publish sensitive information without thorough prior verification. As a result, the management of Luzu TV has decided to cease cooperation with all responsible persons and Florencia Pena has decided to resign. We reiterate our commitment to responsible and respectful communication", they wrote in a statement.
Messi's family also filed a statement.
"Messi's family informs the public that Jorge is coping with health problems. He is currently under medical care, recovering and his condition is good in the circumstances", they said. "In light of the reports, rumors and speculations that have spread in the last hours, the family wishes to express its deep concern at the lack of sensitivity and respect that individuals have shown towards a matter that is strictly private and family.
He scored a hat-trick in the first game.
"No version, statement or information that does not come from the family itself and its official channels can be valid or true. In such moments, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity. The health of the individual and the peace of his loved ones must not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media sensationalism. We sincerely appreciate the expressions of support, respect and concern that we have received, and we ask that the privacy, confidentiality…
Read the full article at Siol.net →📄Source document: Statement from Messi's Family→7 reports
DeloIndependent🔒Center2 days agoFlorencia Pena, an Argentine actress and television host, publicly apologized to Lionel Messi's family after mistakenly reporting during a live broadcast that Jorge Messi, Lionel's father, had died. The error led Luz TV to terminate its collaboration with staff involved in the incident, and Pena left the network voluntarily. Messi's family denied the reports, stating that Jorge Messi has health issues but is recovering under medical supervision. They emphasized that only close family members have accurate information about his condition.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual events without overt ideological framing. It reports on a public apology and the subsequent response from Messi's family, focusing on the misinformation event rather than taking a stance on any political or social issue. The content remains neutral in tone and does not偏向
Žurnal24IndependentCenter2 days agoFlorencia Peña, a television presenter and actress, falsely reported the death of Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, during a live broadcast. This led to widespread confusion and emotional distress for the Messi family. Peña publicly apologized and ended her collaboration with the production team, which also lost employees involved in spreading the misinformation. The Messi family issued a statement clarifying that Jorge Messi is alive but has health issues and is under medical care. Lionel Messi was seen crying after the match against Algeria, possibly due to the stress caused by the false报道
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a factual event involving a false report and its consequences without taking a political stance. It provides information from multiple sources including the Messi family, the production team, and media outlets.
Official sources cited
- organisation Statement from the Messi Family
- organisation Luzu TV Statement
Svet24IndependentCenter2 days agoThe family confirmed that Lionel Messi's father has serious health issues.
Bias read (Center): The article reports a straightforward confirmation from Messi's family regarding his father's health without any apparent ideological framing or biased language.
24ur (POP TV)IndependentCenter2 days agoTelevizijska voditeljica Florencia Pena je na svojem Instagramu izražala svojo skrb in sram in opisala, kako jo je zložila lažna vest o smrti Jorgeja Messija, ki je bila posredovana s strani produkcije med živo oddajo. Družina Messi je nato objavila izjavo, v kateri je poudarila, da ima Jorge Messi zdravstvene težave in je pod zdravniško oskrbo. Družina je izrazila zaskrbljenost zaradi 'neodgovornih' govoric in zahtevala več empatije in diskretnejšega obravnave zasebnih zadev.
Bias read (Center): Članek poroča o dogodku v svetu nogometne scene brez političnega konteksta. Ne obstajajo znaki subjektivnosti, polemike ali izbire strani. Porocanje je objektivno in temelji na dejanskih dogodkih ter izjavah vključenih oseb.
Official sources cited
- organisation Izjava družine Messi
- organisation Porocilo argentinskih medijev
DemokracijaParty-alignedCenter2 days agoFlorencia Pena, an Argentine actress and TV host, publicly apologized to Lionel Messi's family after false reports circulated about the death of Messi's father, Jorge Messi. The misinformation was spread during a live broadcast by Pena's production team. Pena has since ended her collaboration with the channel, and all employees involved have been fired. Messi's family issued a statement expressing concern over irresponsible rumors and lack of empathy regarding their private matters.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It focuses on the incident involving a celebrity and a sports figure, with no clear political framing or ideological emphasis.
Maribor24IndependentCenter2 days agoFlorencia Pena, an Argentine actress and television host, publicly apologized to Lionel Messi's family after a false report about the death of his father, Jorge Messi, was broadcast live. The misinformation was spread by her production team during a live broadcast. Pena has since ended her collaboration with the network, which confirmed the termination of all employees involved in spreading the false information. Messi's family stated that Jorge Messi is recovering from health issues and is currently under medical care. They expressed concern over irresponsible rumors circulating about him.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a factual event involving a false news report and subsequent apologies and consequences. There is no evident ideological framing, loaded language, or one-sided sourcing. It presents the facts without apparent bias.
Siol.netIndependentCenter2 days agoDuring Argentina's World Cup match against Algeria, Lionel Messi was seen crying after scoring his first goal. He later explained that his tears were due to his father's health issues. The situation took an unexpected turn when television presenter Florencia Pena falsely reported during her live broadcast that Messi's father had died. This led to widespread confusion before the Messi family issued a statement clarifying that Jorge Messi was experiencing health problems but was alive.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a factual event involving a sports figure and a false report by a media personality. There is no political framing, bias, or ideological slant present in the content. The information is presented neutrally with both the incident and the correction being clearly outlined.
Official sources cited
- organisation Messi Family Statement
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