'Why would I say hello?' — Messi hugs reporter at center of affair rumors, shrugs them off

Argentina captain Lionel Messi publicly shrugged off unfounded affair rumors involving a journalist, embracing her in front of cameras and addressing the speculation with humor.

According to foreign media including Britain's The Mirror, Messi met Sophie Martinez, a reporter for Argentine broadcaster Telefe, in the mixed zone after Argentina's 2026 World Cup round-of-32 match against Cape Verde on Saturday (local time).

With reporters watching, Messi hugged Martinez and smiled as he addressed the rumors surrounding them. "If I look at you, people ask why I'm looking at you. If I say hello, they ask why I'm saying hello," he said. Martinez also shrugged off the allegations, saying, "It's all lies. None of it is true."

Though brief, the exchange was a witty, on-camera rebuttal of baseless rumors that had spread online. India's NDTV said Messi had "naturally put the rumors to rest in a humorous yet restrained manner."

The speculation surrounding the two dates to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when they conducted several interviews together, and originated from conjecture by some online users. The moment that drew particular attention came ahead of the final, after Argentina defeated Croatia, when Martinez told Messi, Martinez said, "Regardless of the result, you are someone special to every Argentine."

The clip went viral among fans as a touching interview moment, but some online users began interpreting the atmosphere of the exchange on their own terms, spreading baseless affair rumors about the two.

Martinez later appeared on a local broadcast and said the situation had taken an unexpected turn from what had simply been a warm interview. "There kept being talk about why Messi was looking at me that way, and it felt like I became a target for rumors just because I'm a woman," she said. She added that she had been forced to repeatedly deny something absurd, and that her family had been deeply hurt.

Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, also reportedly reached out to comfort Martinez. Martinez said Antonela had sent her a message saying, "Sophie, don't worry. Just ignore that nonsense."

Meanwhile, Messi has continued to shine at this tournament. In Wednesday's round-of-16 match against Egypt, he turned around a near-certain defeat with a goal and an assist to seal a 3-2 victory, bringing his tally to eight goals at this World Cup and his all-time World Cup record to 21 goals.