A TV presenter has issued an apology and resigned from her job after she falsely announced on air that Argentinian World Cup star Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge, had died and that the footballer would be leaving the tournament. Aregentinian TV star Florencia Pena, 51, announced she has quit in an online statement on her Instagram stories after she made the glaring and upsetting on air error. Claiming she had been given the information by the production team, she penned: "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."

She issued the false report about Jorge's demise during a live stream of Luzu TV’s El Show del Verano” on Thursday June 18.

"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," she speculated erroneously.

The mistake forced the Messi family to issue their own statement about the patriarch's health as they called out the irresponsible reporting.

They revealed Jorge had been battling an undisclosed health issue but confirmed he hasn't passed away. "He is currently under medical supervision, recovering, and progressing favourably within his current condition," they said in a statement to ESPN.

"Given the versions, rumours, and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep displeasure at the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter."

They did not reveal what illness he is battling or what his current condition is.

Florencia also faced fierce backlash from Messi fans over the error, and received an online scolding from the country's President Javier Milei on X. "TRASH CORP," he began.

"The aberrant and unscrupulous unchecked statements by Florencia Peña on a streaming channel-which would still be aberrant even if the information had been true, since they trample on a citizen’s private life-remind us of the impunity with which some individuals believe they can operate simply by holding a microphone or a pen in hand, as if that fact implied not only that they don’t have to verify the information they spread, but also that they need not adhere to the most basic tenets of human decency, morality, or respect for the truth,” he fumed.