Lionel Messi: False Reports of Father’s Death Spark Furious Response

The Argentina forward was in tears during Argentina’s World Cup opener.

Lionel Messi and his family were forced to respond. | Maja Hitij/FIFA/Getty Images

Lionel Messi did his best not to publicize the reason for his tears during Argentina’s 3–0 win over Algeria. Unfortunately for him, the matter was taken out of his hands in a truly shocking manner.

During a broadcast of Luzu TV’s El Show del Verano, host Florencia Peña made the stunning claim that Messi’s father, Jorge, had passed away. “He’s going to have to leave [the World Cup],” Peña insisted.

Unsurprisingly, such a story went wild on social media and it did not take long for the report to reach Messi himself. The Inter Miami forward was ultimately forced to respond, slamming the speculation and confirming that Jorge, while hospitalized, was very much alive.

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What Did Messi Say in Response?

Messi’s father, Jorge, represents the Argentina legend. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Messi had clearly wanted to keep his father’s health situtation private, but the vast wave of speculation prompted a statement from the 38-year-old and his family.

“The Messi family informs that Jorge is currently going through a health situation,” the statement began. “At this time, he is under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favorably within the condition he is experiencing.

“In light of the reports, rumors and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep concern regarding the lack of sensitivity, respect and discretion with which some individuals have treated a strictly private family matter.

“The family would also like to clarify that only Jorge’s immediate family has real and accurate information regarding his condition. Therefore, any version, statement or information that does not come directly from the family and its official channels should not be considered valid or truthful.

“At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity. A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media attention.

“We sincerely appreciate the expressions of affection, respect, and concern we have received, and we ask that Jorge’s privacy, confidentiality and personal space—as well as that of his entire family—be respected throughout this process.

“Any relevant updates will be communicated in due course by the family and through the appropriate channels. Thank you for your understanding.”

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The Stunning Fallout

Jorge Messi remains in hospital with an undisclosed illness. | Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images

With confirmation that the claim of Jorge Messi’s death was incorrect, there was a predictable wave of frustration directed towards those responsible.

Nico Ochiatto, the founder of Luzu TV, responded passionately with a series of statements confirming his “outrage” and promising an internal review, which quickly resulted in the dismissal of all those involved in the story.

“Luzu TV deeply regrets what occurred on air during the program ‘El Show del Verano.’ Our channel finds the dissemination of sensitive information without proper prior verification unacceptable.

“For this reason, Luzu TV management has decided to dismiss all those responsible, and Florencia Peña will be stepping down. We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, respectful, and rigorous communication.”

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Peña, who broadcasted the claim, issued another apology to the Messi family.

“I apologize to the Messi family for the awful moment I imagine they are going through,” she said. “I am deeply ashamed to have been the vehicle for this pain. 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.”

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President of Argentina Weighs in

Javier Milei was furious. | Luis ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images

The saga did not end there as Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, unleashed his own furious statement which began with the title: “TRASH CORP.”

“When one thinks they’ve already seen it all from the media, certain characters make a point of reminding us that it’s always possible to sink even lower, to spout an even worse abomination, and to inflict even more damage,” Milei wrote.

“The aberrant and unscrupulous unchecked statements by Florencia Peña on a streaming channel—which would still be aberrant even if the information had been true, since they trample on a citizen’s private life—remind us of the impunity with which some individuals believe they can operate simply by holding a microphone or a pen in hand, as if that fact implied not only that they don’t have to verify the information they spread, but also that they need not adhere to the most basic tenets of human decency, morality or respect for the truth.

“It’s also worth noting that, unlike what happened in the case of this low-rent gossipmonger, at least the channel had the decency to correct the information and boot out this nefarious character—something that has never once happened with media outlets or newspapers that have in their ranks an endless parade of journalists who have grown tired of smearing, slandering or insulting everyone in sight, shielded by editors and/or media owners who cover for them under the pretext of doing ‘journalism.’

“At least the showbiz gossips don’t pretend to preach from the perch of morality or good manners, while pocketing ad dollars from politicians to prop up media outlets that, if they truly relied only on their audience, would have gone bankrupt long ago.”

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The Impact on Messi

Messi, a typically quiet player, has not offered a personal response to the issue aside from the statement from his wider family.

He continues to train with Argentina ahead of its next World Cup outing against Austria on June 22 and is still expected to start that game during what is an incredibly challenging time for Messi on a personal level.

Messi needs just one more goal to become the leading scorer in the history of the World Cup, currently sitting tied for first with Miroslav Klose on 16.

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