After Argentina narrowly defeated Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in a World Cup match, Messi met Argentine TV reporter Sofi Martinez in the Miami mixed zone and directly addressed rumors of a scandal involving them.
The 39-year-old superstar proactively approached Sofi Martinez, a reporter for Telefe, after the match. The two greeted each other and briefly shared their thoughts on the game. After a polite hug and a kiss on the cheek, Messi took the opportunity to address rumors surrounding their professional relationship.
According to Bild, Messi told the media present, "When I look at you, they ask why I'm looking at you. When I say hello to you, they ask why I'm saying hello to you." In doing so, Messi poked fun at the various online speculations.
The video quickly went viral, and 33-year-old Martinez immediately responded to Messi's remarks: "These are all lies." She expressed gratitude to Messi for clarifying the matter.
Martinez previously revealed that Messi's wife, Antonella, had personally contacted her during this wave of public opinion. According to Martinez, Antonella sent her a private message expressing support and telling her to ignore the rumors: "Sofi, don't worry, ignore the nonsense."
Rumors about the two first quickly escalated after Argentina defeated Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar in 2022. At the time, Martinez spoke emotionally to Messi in a post-match interview, saying that no matter the outcome of the match, it would not change his standing in the hearts of the Argentine people. This interaction sparked a wave of false fan speculation.
Martinez previously discussed the controversy on the Argentine TV show "Podemos Hablar": "Many times, when your exposure increases, it brings some not-so-good things, and my family has suffered a lot because of it. This year, people have increasingly been talking about 'what's wrong with the way he looks at you,' and I got caught up in a clarification that I found absurd." She believes she was targeted by these rumors because of her gender and that male reporters would not face the same speculation.
An Argentine journalist who previously worked with Martinez also defended her this week, telling Bild: "Sofi is a very calm person; she doesn't want anything to do with this drama. Messi's life is too regular, so some people just have to invent scandals."
Messi and Martinez have since met multiple times at major international events, including the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony and the Copa América.
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