Luzu TV Faces Backlash Over False Report on Messi’s Father

In Argentina, where Lionel Messi’s every step is front-page news, one of the country’s rising digital channels has been dragged into a crisis of its own making.

A group of staff at Luzu TV have lost their jobs after the channel falsely reported the death of Messi’s father, Jorge, triggering outrage from the family and an immediate commercial backlash.

False alarm in a live broadcast

The error unfolded live. Presenter Florencia Peña, on air for Luzu TV, announced that Jorge Messi had died and went further, suggesting the news meant Messi would not play again at this World Cup.

The claim spread at speed. Reality, when it arrived, was very different.

Hours later, the Messi family issued a statement confirming that Jorge Messi was in hospital with an undisclosed medical issue, but “progressing favourably”. The message was calm but firm. The story circulating about his death was wrong.

The damage, though, had already been done.

Peña steps down and apologises

Peña resigned from her role and moved quickly to apologise, placing the origin of the false report on the production team who, she said, fed her the “verified” information through her earpiece during the live show.

“I apologise to the Messi family for the awful moment I imagine they are going through,” she wrote on social media, in a statement translated from Spanish. “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 apologise again from the heart; I was wrong.”

In a media landscape where speed often trumps certainty, her words read like both an apology and a warning.

Luzu TV under fire

Luzu, founded in 2020 and now a prominent streaming news and entertainment outlet in Argentina, suddenly found itself at the centre of a storm it had created.

The channel issued its own statement, also translated from Spanish, calling the on-air incident unacceptable and confirming that “those responsible” had been dismissed.

“We deeply regret the incident that occurred on air during the programme,” the statement read. “For our channel, broadcasting sensitive information without proper prior verification is unacceptable. Consequently, Luzu TV management has decided to part ways with all those responsible, and Florencia Peña has decided to step aside. We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, respectful, and rigorous communication.”

The corporate fallout was swift. According to Argentine media reports, as many as 10 brands cut ties with Luzu almost immediately, pulling sponsorship from the streaming channel and underlining just how costly one reckless report can be.

Messi family hits back at speculation

If Luzu’s statement tried to draw a line under the episode, the Messi family’s response made clear how deeply they resented the coverage.

“In light of the versions, rumours and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express their profound discomfort at the lack of sensitivity, respect and scruples with which some individuals have treated a strictly private and family matter,” their statement said.

They stressed that only a small inner circle has accurate information on Jorge Messi’s condition and that any report not coming from the family or their official channels “should not be considered valid or truthful”.

The closing plea was pointed: “In moments like this, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity. A person’s health and the peace of mind of those around them should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest.”

In a country where Messi’s name carries near-religious weight, the message cut through: this was not just about a correction, but about basic decency.

Messi’s World Cup rolls on amid controversy

All this has played out while Lionel Messi continues to write World Cup history on the pitch.

The Argentina captain, now playing in a record sixth World Cup, opened his tournament with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday in Kansas City. The reigning champions looked in control, Messi decisive and ruthless in front of goal.

Argentina now turn to their next Group J match, against Austria on Monday in Arlington, Texas, with the footballing world locked on Messi’s every touch and, now, every update on his father’s health.

Algeria, beaten and aggrieved, have taken a different path. Their federation has sent a letter to Fifa’s refereeing commission, complaining about what they describe as poor officiating in the defeat to Argentina. Central to their grievance is a first-half flashpoint in Kansas City, when Messi stepped on the calf of Algeria captain Aïssa Mandi.

Algerian fans inside the stadium screamed for a red card. Messi was not punished and stayed on the pitch to complete his hat-trick. The match was refereed by Poland’s Szymon Marciniak, the official who took charge of the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, where Argentina beat France on penalties.

So the World Cup moves forward, Messi still at its heart, the goals still flowing. Around him, though, Argentina is once again wrestling with a familiar question: how far will some corners of the media go when the story involves its greatest son?