Messi and Wife Deny Affair Rumors Involving World Cup Reporter

Lionel Messi publicly addressed rumors about an alleged affair with World Cup reporter Sofi Martinez following Argentina’s victory over Cape Verde in the tournament’s last-32 stage. The Argentina star approached Martinez and jokingly confronted the speculation in front of numerous journalists.

During the interaction, Messi smiled and said, "When I look at you, they ask why I'm looking at you. And when I greet you, they ask why I'm greeting you." Martinez responded by calling the rumors "all lies."

Sofi Martinez

Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, also reached out to Martinez amid the circulating gossip, sending a message that read: "Sofi, don't worry, ignore the nonsense." This support came as the rumors resurfaced, initially gaining attention during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Martinez has spoken publicly about the effect of the rumors on her personal life. On Argentina’s Podemos Hablar show, she said, "A lot of the time when your exposure increases, it brings things that aren't so good and my family suffers a lot. This year, people began to talk more and more about, 'What's up with the way he looks at you,' things like this, and I was caught in the middle of something that made me feel ridiculous to have to clarify."

With 2.5 million followers on Instagram, Martinez believes the rumors have been fueled by gender bias. One of her colleagues, who spoke anonymously to German publication Bild, described her as "a very calm person" who "wants nothing to do with this whole drama." The colleague added, "Messi's life is so orderly that some people simply have to invent scandals."

On the field, Messi continues to excel, having scored seven goals to help Argentina advance to the last 16, bringing his total World Cup goals to 20. Argentina is scheduled to face Egypt in the next round on Tuesday at 5pm BST, with a potential semi-final matchup against England looming.