Host in Argentina quits after falsely reporting that Lionel Messi's dad died

An Argentine streaming host resigned after broadcasting false news that Lionel Messi's father had died amid his World Cup run. Florencia Peña, the host of El Show del Verano on Luzu TV, announced her departure on X, saying she accepted partial blame and apologized. Peña said a producer relayed the unverified information through an earpiece during a live broadcast, which she repeated believing it was true. The Messi family released a statement clarifying that Jorge Messi is currently dealing with a health issue and under medical supervision. Luzu TV founder Nicolás Occhiato said management terminated all those responsible and reaffirmed the channel’s commitment to responsible journalism. The incident followed Messi’s World Cup hat-trick against Algeria, which moved him into a tie with Miroslav Klose for the World Cup career scoring record. Argentina’s next World Cup game is scheduled for Monday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, against Austria.