The captain of the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi, has responded for the first time to the romantic relationship rumors circulating about him.
Medianews.az, referring to "Daily Mail," reports that the 39-year-old footballer met with Argentine journalist Sofi Martinez in the mixed zone after Argentina's 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
Messi hugged the journalist and kissed her on the cheek, then sarcastically touched on the rumors circulating about them.
"They ask why I am looking at you," Messi joked.
Martinez responded to these words by saying, "All of this is a lie," denying the love claims about them.
It should be noted that rumors about a relationship between Messi and Sofi Martinez first spread after Argentina's semifinal victory over Croatia in the 2022 World Cup. At that time, the journalist's emotional appeal to Messi sparked extensive discussions on social media.
Martinez had previously stated that Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo also contacted her and supported her: "Sofi, don’t worry, don’t pay attention to this nonsense."
The journalist has repeatedly denied these claims, emphasizing that the circulating rumors are baseless.
Recall that Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo have been married since 2017. The couple has three sons named Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.//Qafqazinfo