Lionel Messi Greets Reporter Sofi Martinez Amid 'Rumours', Stumps Everyone With His Comment
Messi shared a light-hearted moment with Argentine journalist Sofi Martinez, addressing social media rumors with humor during the post-match interview.
With a goal and an assist to his name, Lionel Messi was named the Player of the Match again for Argentina as the defending champions qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 with a 3-2 win on Friday. After an impactful performance on the field, Messi hogged the limelight off it as well, as he met famous Argentine journalist Sofi Martinez in the Mixed Zone. Sofi had become a subject of social media chatter a few months ago after rumours started to link her with Argentina captain Messi. Despite knowing that greeting Sofi could put him in trouble, Messi gave the Argentine reporter a hug and said: "If I look at you, they'll say why did you look, and if I greet you, they'll say why did you greet her."
It was a light-hearted, playful moment in the mixed zone right after Argentina's 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde.
Messi approached Sofi and said this directly to her. He was jokingly addressing the online rumours suggesting his wife Antonella gets jealous of his interactions with Sofi or that there's something more going on between the two.
Sofi was touched by Messi's words, and she responded, saying: "I appreciate what you said, and thank you for your words".
The clip went viral because it shows Messi's sense of humour and the manner in which he casually shut down the rumours in his typical low-key way.
— Messi World (@M10GOAT) July 4, 2026
In the Mixed Zone, Messi also acknowledged the herculean effort Cape Verde players put on the field, saying he understood why they didn't lose to Spain and Uruguay.
"Well, honestly, we knew, we knew it was going to be a very tough game. It is no coincidence that this team had not lost to Spain or Uruguay. We did the hardest thing, which was getting that first goal. We thought that after that we would find our rhythm and be more relaxed, but it was the complete opposite."
"At times we lost possession, we sat back a bit too much, and we could not press them effectively. And well, they used their strengths to strike. We knew it would be difficult. This is knockout football, and nobody gives you anything for free."
"While some might dismiss certain teams based on their name, we knew it would not be easy at all. That's the nature of this World Cup in particular, right? Everything is very even, very complicated, and every match is going to be incredibly tough," he continued.
Messi acknowledged that his side had to suffer and put in more than they had planned to get the three points against Cape Verde. Now, however, the focus shifts to taking rest and taking the positives from the g
"Beyond just advancing, I believe there are positives because we did some good things, but we also need to correct the mistakes, of which there were many today," he signed off.
Argentina
Messi