"Messi's father's funeral" fake news sparks outrage: "Vile act trampling on privacy..." Argentina in uproar... Broadcast officials also fired

*This content was translated by AI.

A local broadcaster host who spread fake news that Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami) of the Argentina national football team had lost his father was removed from the program, and numerous staff members were also fired.

According to the UK's BBC on the 20th (Korean time), Florencia Pena, a host on Argentina's Luzu TV, recently reported during a live broadcast that Messi's father, Jorge Messi, had passed away and that Messi might leave the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

In response, the Messi family immediately issued a statement denying the report. The family said, "While it is true that he has been ill, he is currently recovering under the supervision of medical staff," and added, "We deeply regret the insensitive and conscienceless attitude shown while handling an extremely private matter."

As the controversy grew, Pena apologized on her social media (SNS), stating, "I spoke based on unconfirmed information," and announced her departure from the program. The broadcaster also took action to fire all production staff who issued the false report without prior verification.

Argentine President Javier Milei also strongly criticized the incident, calling it an "abnormal act that trampled on a citizen's privacy simply for holding a microphone."

Meanwhile, Messi scored a hat-trick in the first group stage match of the World Cup against Algeria on the 17th, leading his team to a 3-0 victory. By participating in this tournament, Messi has built a monument of appearing in six consecutive World Cups, and with 16 career goals, he is tied for first place all-time with Miroslav Klose (Germany).

However, reports emerged that Messi had been suffering emotionally due to his father's declining health, even as he achieved these historic milestones, drawing sympathy from fans.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.