Florencia Pena leaves her job after a false broadcast.
A major broadcasting scandal has shaken the sports media landscape following Florencia Pena’s report.
Pena announced on live television that Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, had died. The statement came during a broadcast of El Show del Verano on Luzu TV in Argentina. The claim spread instantly across social media amid the 2026 World Cup. Minutes later, the presenter retracted the information and confirmed it was false.
Florencia Pena Takes Responsibility for Unverified Messi Rumor
Pena received the information through her earpiece during the live show. She trusted the production team and repeated the news without further checks. The 51-year-old presenter expressed deep shame in her apology statement. She acknowledged causing unnecessary pain to the Messi family and decided to end her participation in the program.
Luzu TV fired the involved producers and issued its own statement, per The Daily Mail. The channel admitted the mistake of broadcasting unverified information. Florencia Pena emphasized that she takes full responsibility, even though she relies on the team’s input. Her quick retraction happened only eight minutes after the initial claim.
‘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.’
Florencia Quits After False Messi Dad Death Claim Shocks World Cup Fans
While analyzing international tournament matches, the studio crew passed unverified internet rumors directly to the anchor desk. Florencia Pena trusted the internal update and announced the breaking news to her viewers without first checking official family channels.
That decision would cost her dearly. She stepped down from her job with the broadcaster. The Messi family issued a statement on Thursday explaining that Lionel Messi’s dad is undergoing a ‘health situation.’
Pena repeated how horrified she was at her error in an interview with America TV on her way out of the Luzu TV studio for the final time. Luzu TV reinforced its commitment to higher standards moving forward.
This situation serves as a cautionary tale for media professionals. Florencia Pena handled the fallout with a public acknowledgment of fault. Her exit marks the end of this chapter while the Messi family continues to navigate the tournament privately.
In the meantime, Messi is fresh off an incredible hat trick in the World Cup opener.