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Lionel Messi put an end to rumors regarding an alleged affair with Argentine journalist Sofi Martínez during an encounter following Argentina's victory over Cape Verde in Miami.
In front of several media outlets, Messi took the moment to mock the rumors that have circulated on social media for years, despite the fact that he is married to Antonela Roccuzzo.
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After greeting each other with a hug and a kiss on the cheek during said encounter, the Argentine star commented with a laugh: "When I look at you, they ask me why I look at you. And when I greet you, they ask me why I greet you," making it clear that interpretations regarding their closeness are baseless.
After Lionel denied the alleged romance, Sofi Martínez commented: "All of that is lies," and thanked the footballer for publicly debunking the rumors.
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It is worth remembering that both figures were romantically linked during the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The rumors about their affair emerged after an interview Messi gave to the Telefe journalist in the Argentina vs. Croatia semifinal; at the time, their reactions during that interaction went viral, especially because Martínez expressed her admiration for him in a close and affectionate way.
Four years later, the rumors about the romance remained active until Messi denied them. In addition to this, the journalist herself revealed that the star's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, contacted her directly to talk about the subject and show her support in the face of the hate comments she was receiving for being Messi's alleged "mistress."
Sofi revealed that the influencer and model sent her a message saying: "Sofi, don't worry, ignore that nonsense."
In addition to this revelation, Martínez said that the romance rumors caused her significant professional and personal problems, directly affecting her family due to the media exposure she received at the time.
The journalist and Lionel Messi have crossed paths professionally on several occasions beyond the 2022 Qatar World Cup, such as at the Copa América and now at the 2026 World Cup; however, the opportunity to deny the rumors arose now during their press encounter after last Friday's Argentina vs. Cape Verde match.
[Publicidad]