Argentine presenter fired for false report on Messi's father's death

Argentine actress and presenter Florencia Peña has been dismissed from her role on the audiovisual platform Luzu TV after falsely reporting the death of Lionel Messi's father. The incident sparked a significant debate about media responsibility.

During the program 'El show del verano,' Peña announced, "I don't want to give you bad news, but Messi's dad just died. It was sudden. In the middle of the World Cup." She later clarified that the information was unconfirmed, but the false report had already spread rapidly on social media.

The Messi family, currently in the United States for the 2026 World Cup, issued a statement expressing their "deep distress" over the "lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples" with which a private family matter was handled. They clarified that Jorge Messi, 68, was experiencing a health situation but was recovering favorably.

Nicolás Occhiato, director of Luzu TV, voiced his "indignation" and "disagreement" with the on-air incident, calling for a "thorough internal review and a strong sanction" due to the "inadmissible error." Subsequently, Luzu TV announced the dismissal of all responsible individuals and Peña's departure, deeming the "diffusion of sensitive information without prior verification" inadmissible.

Peña apologized on social media, expressing deep embarrassment and stating that the program's production had provided the information as checked. She accepted responsibility for being part of the error, leading to her decision to step down. The scandal also generated widespread online commentary, with a study indicating 77% of social media mentions expressed negative sentiments, primarily anger, and 72% criticized the lack of fact-checking.