Argentina began their World Cup title defence with a victory over Algeria through Lionel Messi‘s memorable performance.
The Argentina captain scored a brilliant hat-trick and played a decisive role in his country’s perfect start to the tournament.
However, one moment during the match attracted almost as much attention as his performance. Messi appeared emotional after scoring his opening goal in the 18th minute.
Television cameras captured the 38-year-old wiping away tears before celebrating with his teammates. After the match, Messi explained that he had experienced some difficult days recently.
The forward stressed that the situation was completely unrelated to football, but his comments immediately sparked speculation about events away from the pitch.
On Thursday, Lionel Messi’s family released an official statement confirming that Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, was dealing with a health issue and remained under medical supervision. The statement said:
“The Messi family reports that Jorge is going through a health situation. At this time, he is under medical supervision, recovering and progressing favourably within his condition.”
The family also expressed frustration over rumours and inaccurate reports surrounding the situation. However, the statement arrived only hours after a major controversy erupted in Argentina.
Argentine television presenter Florencia Pena falsely claimed on Luzu TV’s El Show del Verano that Jorge Messi had died. According to The Sun, Pena said:
“I don’t want to break bad news, but Messi’s father just died. Right in the middle of the World Cup, he’s going to have to leave.”
The claim quickly spread before the Messi family publicly denied the reports. Shortly afterwards, Pena issued a statement apologising and announcing her resignation from the broadcaster.
“I apologise to the Messi family for the awful moment I imagine they are going through. 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.”
While Jorge Messi continues his recovery, Lionel Messi remains focused on Argentina’s World Cup campaign after helping the defending champions make the perfect start to the tournament.
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