Argentine TV host resigns after falsely announcing Messi father's death on air

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine television host Florencia Peña resigned from Luzu TV after announcing on air that Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, had died. The 51-year-old host made the claim during her program on the network, saying the 68-year-old had passed away. The announcement came shortly after footage of Messi weeping following his three goals for Argentina at the World Cup was shown. Peña later said the information had been confirmed to her by the program's production team and expressed deep regret, announcing her resignation from the channel. The Messi family rejected the claim, stating that Jorge Messi was in good health and recovering positively under medical supervision. The family said the reports had treated a private family matter insensitively and urged the public to rely only on statements issued through the family's official channels. Luzu TV said broadcasting unverified sensitive information was unacceptable. No further details about the network's internal review were immediately available.