Argentine television presenter, Florencia Peña, has stepped down from her role after mistakenly announcing the death of Jorge Messi, the father of football icon Lionel Messi, during a live television broadcast.
According to L’Equipe on Friday, the incident happened on Luzu TV’s programme, “El Show del Verano,” where Peña relayed information reportedly passed to her through an earpiece by members of the production team.
The false report quickly gained attention before relatives of the Messi family moved to dismiss the claim. Jorge Messi is alive and is understood to be recovering from health-related issues.
In response, the television station issued a statement condemning the mistake, describing the airing of such unverified and sensitive information as “inacceptable.”
Luzu TV also announced that those responsible for the error would be dismissed, while Peña elected to resign from her position.
“We regret deeply what happened on air,” the broadcaster said.
Peña later apologised publicly to the Messi family via social media, expressing deep remorse over the distress caused by the incident.
She disclosed that she had personally reached out to Lionel Messi’s mother, Celia Cuccittini, to offer her apologies.
Appearing visibly emotional on the programme “Sálvese Quien Pueda,” the presenter recounted the events that led to the erroneous announcement and her subsequent resignation.
The controversy sparked widespread criticism across Argentina, including from President Javier Milei, who strongly condemned Peña on social media.
He referred to her as a “commère mesquine” (petty gossip) and declared that an attack on Messi is an attack on everyone.
The incident has generated extensive debate online, particularly among football supporters.
A post by football news platform #TouchlineX detailing Peña’s resignation and apology attracted mixed reactions from users.
One user, #3getKennethed22, commented “This is bad communication from the production team and she doesn’t have to resign for it.”
Another, #bodex333, noted “You have to take some minutes to digest info before going on air and announce such info without legit confirmation.”
Meanwhile, #Osinbolu1 observed “One wrong cue in the earpiece… and a simple mistake becomes global news involving one of the most sensitive names in football.”
The resignation has been widely viewed as a significant setback for Peña’s career, although some observers have commended her swift apology and direct efforts to make amends with the Messi family.
