Argentine broadcaster fired after falsely reporting Messi's father had died

An Argentine broadcaster has been fired after a television program falsely reported the death of Lionel Messi's father during a live broadcast.

The BBC, The Guardian and other British outlets reported Friday that the broadcaster was dismissed following the false report about the father of the Argentine national team star.

Broadcaster and actor Florencia Peña announced the news as a breaking story while hosting a live program on Argentina's LuZu TV, relaying information passed to her by the production team.

"I don't want to share bad news, but Messi's father passed away a short while ago — this happened during the World Cup," she said on air.

The false report spread rapidly on social media, fueling widespread controversy. Messi's family denied the claim, confirming it was fabricated.

LuZu TV expressed deep regret over the incident, saying "broadcasting sensitive information without proper prior verification is unacceptable." The network said it had decided to dismiss the entire program's staff, adding that host Peña would also resign.

Peña issued a public apology on social media. "I sincerely apologize to the Messi family. I am deeply ashamed to have been involved in this false report," she said.

Meanwhile, Messi will chase the all-time World Cup scoring record when Argentina face Austria in their Group J second match at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Monday at 2 a.m.