World-renowned soccer star Lionel Messi spoke out directly about the affair rumors surrounding him and stated, “They are all false.” His wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, is also said to have publicly supported the position of Sophie Martinez, a reporter for the broadcasting company, who dismissed the rumors and denied them as “all lies.” According to foreign media such as Britain’s Dererer on the 7th (local time), Messi recently met Martinez, a reporter for Telefe, an Argentine broadcaster, in the mixed zone after finishing the round of 32 against Cape Verde at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup and publicly addressed the affair rumors surrounding him. Messi, who hugged Martinez while several reporters were watching, smiled and said, “When I see you, you ask me why I’m looking at you, and when I greet you, I ask you why I’m greeting you.” To this, Martinez replied, “It’s all a lie,” and “It’s not true,” and the two together dismissed the groundless rumors. Unconfirmed rumors surrounding the relationship between Messi and Martinez have recently spread online. The two met several times during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.