Lionel Messi has addressed the ongoing rumors of a romantic affair with Argentine television reporter Sofi Martinez following a World Cup mixed zone encounter.

The 39-year-old superstar directly confronted the speculation after Argentina secured a narrow 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in Miami on Friday.

Messi approached Martinez, who works for the broadcaster Telefe, in the post-match media area to exchange a greeting and his thoughts on their Round of 32 win.

Following a tentative hug and kiss on the cheek, the Inter Miami forward used the moment to dismiss the narratives surrounding their professional relationship.

‘When I look at you, they ask why I’m looking at you,’ Messi told Martinez in front of the gathered press, as reported by Bild.

‘And when I greet you, they ask why I’m greeting you,’ the Argentine captain added, effectively ridiculing the internet speculation.

Lionel Messi has addressed rumors of an affair with Argentine reporter Sofi Martinez

The soccer star has been married to childhood sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo since 2017

The viral video clip also captured Martinez immediately responding to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s remarks.

‘These are all lies,’ the 33-year-old journalist replied, thanking the forward for clearing the air.

The public denial comes after Martinez recently revealed that Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, personally reached out to her amid the media storm.

Martinez disclosed that the 38-year-old mother of three sent her a direct message to offer support and dismiss the jealousy rumors.

‘Sofi, don’t worry, ignore the nonsense,’ Roccuzzo wrote to the reporter, according to Martinez.

The rumors initially gained massive traction following Argentina’s semi-final victory over Croatia during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Martinez delivered an emotional monologue to Messi during a post-match interview, telling him that no tournament result could diminish the impact he had on the Argentine public. The interaction sparked a wave of unfounded fan theories.

The reporter, who has risen to fame, has interviewed the Inter Miami star multiple times

Messi shares three sons – Thiago, 12, Mateo, 9, and Ciro, 6, – with wife Antonela

Martinez previously addressed the intense scrutiny during an appearance on the Argentine television program ‘Podemos Hablar’.

‘A lot of the time when your exposure increases, it brings things that aren’t so good and my family suffers a lot,’ Martinez stated.

‘This year, people began to talk more and more about, ‘What’s up with the way he looks at you,’ things like this, and I was caught in the middle of something that made me feel ridiculous to have to clarify.’

The broadcaster argued that she became a target for the rumors entirely due to her gender, noting that male reporters would not face the same speculation.

An Argentine journalist who worked alongside Martinez backed up her stance this week.

‘Sofi is a very calm person, she wants nothing to do with this whole drama,’ the colleague told BILD.

‘Messi’s life is so orderly that some people simply have to invent scandals,’ the anonymous journalist added.

Martinez and Messi have continued to cross paths at major global sporting events, including the Ballon d’Or ceremony and the Copa America.

Martinez has shot into the spotlight over the past few years for her success covering multiple sporting events, particularly the Argentinian team’s World Cup and Copa America wins

Messi and Roccuzzo have been married for nine years after initially meeting as children in their shared hometown of Rosario.

They welcomed their first son Thiago into the world in 2012 before having two more sons Mateo (2015) and Ciro (2018).

The pair tied the knot in 2017 in a lavish wedding at a luxury hotel in the heart of Rosario.

She is huge a supporter of her husband and is regularly seen cheering him from the stands at his games.

Meanwhile, Martinez revealed that she was as single as possible when pressed on her relationship status in an interview with Canal 9 following her split from fellow journalist Diego Leuco at the end of 2023 and amid further romance rumors linking her to Argentinian TV personality Marcos Ginocchio.