After a match at the Miami stadium, Messi stopped in the quick interview zone to speak with the media. Upon seeing Sofia Martinez, he proactively greeted her and spoke humorously: "If I don't greet you, people will say I ignored you. If I look, I'm talked about; if I greet, I'm also talked about."

Messi greets reporter Sofia Martinez after Argentina's three-two victory over Cape Verde in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, florida, US on 3/7. *Screenshot*.

This marked the first time the 39-year-old superstar directly addressed the rumors that emerged after the 2022 World Cup, instead of remaining silent as he had before. Martinez did not continue the off-topic conversation, quickly shifting to questions about the match. "Let's talk about what we love most: our work," the reporter said before thanking Messi: "Thank you, I truly appreciate it."

Following the interview, Martinez stated that Messi's action held more significance than a few jokes. "There has been a lot of meaningless noise lately," the reporter commented. "He had no obligation to explain anything, but he still spoke up to show there were no issues between us."

The origin of the story dates back to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After Argentina defeated Croatia to reach the final, Martinez interviewed Messi. When the reporter said he had "touched the hearts of all Argentinians," Messi stood silently, visibly moved, looking intently at her for several seconds. This moment quickly went viral on social media.

Shortly after, Martinez recounted her surprise, noting that Messi had never maintained eye contact for so long during an interview before. According to the reporter, the Argentina captain's reaction simply stemmed from his emotion at her words, following the team's journey to the World Cup final.

However, many social media posts speculated that Messi and Martinez had a special affection, without providing any evidence. The rumors also led to many baseless stories involving Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife.

Lionel Messi and Sofia Martinez during an interview. *Instagram/sofimmartinez*.

By late 2023, Martinez had to publicly refute the speculations. "At one point, people kept talking about how Messi looked at me or if I was in the middle of something," she explained. "I found it ridiculous to have to explain such things."

When the 2026 World Cup began, the old rumors resurfaced. Some media outlets and social media accounts spread information claiming Antonela was displeased with Martinez, even suggesting that Messi's wife had asked Argentina's players to limit interviews with the female reporter.

However, Martinez herself confirmed that information was completely false. She also revealed that in april 2026, Antonela proactively messaged her with words of encouragement amid the spreading rumors. According to Martinez, Messi's wife wrote: "Sofi, don't worry. Don't pay attention to the gossip."

The reporter stated that this message helped her overcome a difficult period of continuous attacks on social media. She also emphasized that Antonela had no obligation to make contact, but still proactively did so to put an end to the baseless speculation. Therefore, according to La Nacion, the greeting between Messi and Martinez after the match against Cape Verde was the final blow to years of rumors.

By Hoang An (from La Nacion)