Lionel Messi made a pointed gesture to a World Cup reporter he was accused of having an affair with and the Argentina superstar’s wife text her
Lionel Messi and his wife have jumped to the defence of a reporter accused of having an affair with the Argentina talisman.
Messi is on the crest of a wave during what is surely his final World Cup, helping his country into the last 16 with seven goals, bringing his overall tally to 20. Off the pitch, the 39-year-old, an icon of fans around the world, continues to burnish his clean-cut image.
However, that hasn’t prevented groundless internet rumours surrounding Messi’s love life involving Telefe reporter Sofi Martinez. After Argentina’s hard-fought last-32 win over Cape Verde, Messi made a beeline for her to brazenly mock rumours of an affair between the pair.
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After the pair shared a huge, a smiling Messi, in view of dozens of other reporters, 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.” An appreciative Sofi responded: “These are all lies.”
Sofi also has the support of Messi’s wife and the mother of their three children, Antonela Roccuzzo, who reached out to her amid the rumours, which initially gained traction during Argentina’s run to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
Sofi revealed details of the message she received from Antonela, which read: “Sofi, don’t worry, ignore the nonsense.” Sofi has previously addressed the rumours and the impact they have had on her and her family.
She told Argentina’s Podemos Hablar show: “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.”
Sofi believes she has been targeted because of her gender. Meanwhile, one of her colleagues, speaking anonymously, told German title Bild: “Sofi is a very calm person.
“She wants nothing to do with this whole drama. Messi’s life is so orderly that some people simply have to invent scandals.”
Messi’s focus will be back on the football, with Argentina set to face Egypt in the last 16 on Tuesday (5pm BST), with England potentially lying in wait in the semi-finals.
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