FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE scores, Day 9: Scotland vs Morocco results, latest news; Australia vs USA highlights; Mike Grella mocks Irankunda with crotch grab

An Argentine TV presenter has resigned in the middle of the tournament after falsely reporting the death of Lionel Messi’s father.

According to the BBC, Florencia Pena made the announcement on Luzu TV following Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in which Messi scored all three goals.

“I don’t want to bring bad news, but Messi’s father has just passed away. It was sudden. In the middle of the World Cup,” she said.

The news quickly spread through social media, which forced Pena to clarify the information had not been confirmed. The Messi family later released a statement that Jorge Messi was receiving medial treatment for an undisclosed health condition, but was very much alive.

Argentina president Javier Milei on X called Pena’s announcement “Trash talk”.

The 51-year-old is an experienced television presenter and actress.

Pena apologised on air, and later explained she had been fed the information live as if it had been verified.

“I have to clarify that this false information was given to me live on air as if it had been checked by the show’s production team, and I trusted it,” she wrote on social media.

“Even so, I take responsibility for being part of the mistake and that is why I decided to step aside and end my participation in Luzu.

“I apologise again from the heart; I was wrong.”

Luzu TV later confirmed Pena had stood down and “all those responsible” had been sacked.

Brazil’s match against Haiti is underway. It looked for a moment like Brazil had scored the opener in the 13th minute, but a flag was up on the far side and the semi-automated offside system backed up the decision and the goal was wiped.

Replays show it was tight, but his body was well in front of the line.

The last time these two teams played was in a Copa America match, and the Brazilians won 7-1.

Brazil famously play in bright yellow with blue shorts, but today they’re playing in their alternate navy, and it’s taking a moment to get used to it.

Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were just shown on the big screens in the stadium, and the roar that erupted was equal to the one that went up when the ball found the back of the net a few minutes earlier. They really are worshipped as gods.

Scotland manager Stephen Clark is the second coach angry with how his side was refereed this morning.

Still visibly frustrated, Clarke’s post-game pitch-side interview lasted about 40 seconds and he said 40 words.

There were two separate moments inside the box where his attackers were brought down by Moroccan defenders. The referee did not blow penalties for either, and VAR did not intervene.

He was also frustrated by his side’s start, and that goal conceded in 70 seconds.

“Difficult to sum up right now, I just want to go inside and talk to my players,” Clarke said, speaking to a Scottish reporter on SBS.

She then asked about the penalty non-calls, and if he’d had a chance to see a replay.

“I haven’t seen anything yet. I don’t know why they do these interviews,” he said.

“I’m proud of the players, I thought they were fantastic,” he added to one final question and then walked away.

Earlier, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic was also unhappy with the refereeing in their loss to the USA.

USA villain Mike Grella has mocked Nestory Irankunda’s Michael Jackson crotch grab celebration after the 2-0 win over Australia.

CBS pundit Grella had predicted the Group D game would be a “lay-up” for the hosts and he was able to rub it in post-match as well.

“In the end, the football spoke. Two nil, thank you very much,” Grella grinned.

“And I think Irankunda, what’s the celebration? Irankunda like this, and it goes like this, right? And that’s what they got. Two of them.

“Two nil. Goodbye. See you. 9000 miles, 9400 miles.”

Grella waxed lyrical with patriotic fever.

“This is the United States of America over here. This is a special place with big characters, with a big personality,” he said.

“This is a place that demands respect.”

Australian football great Mark Bosnich has slammed Tony Popovic for his decision to drop Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe from the starting lineup against the USA.

The Socceroos improved with Irankunda and Metcalfe on the park in the second half but the horse had bolted with the USA up 2-0.

“The game was over before it even started,” Bosnich said on Stan Sport’s World Cup Daily.

“Very rarely in any sport - and let alone football - that two goalscorers from one of the greatest wins in Australian football history are left out of the next game.

“And I think it upset the whole balance. I understand (Nishan) Velupillay and (Mathew) Leckie, he was worried about America’s two fullbacks (Antonee Robinson and Alex Freeman) who were absolutely outstanding in that first game they played. But in my opinion, you don’t leave out your two goalscorers from one of your greatest victories of all time.”

Bosnich said the USA didn’t get out of “second or third” gear in the second half.

“For all the huffing and puffing from Australia - and they did look better, there’s no doubt about that. But when you’re 2-0 down, normally that’s what happens anyway, especially when you get a bit of a blast at halftime from your manager.

“The best chance of of the second half still fell to America and (Folarin) Balogun.”

Australia’s final group game is against Paraguay on Friday (AEST).

“Look, we can still qualify. We’ve still got a great chance. We’re going to pick ourselves up,” Bosnich said.

No word from US football pundit Mike Grella yet but his employer CBS didn’t waste much time on rubbing it in.

CBS posted a video of one Socceroos fan’s bet with Grella, after the commentator said the Socceroos were going to be a “lay-up” for the USA.

“If the US wins I’ll get your face tattooed on my leg, but if Australia beat the US, you have to say on your broadcast that Nestory Irankunda is the real LeBron James of soccer,” the fan says.

The clip then cut to Grella who accepted the challenge.

Unfortunately for the fan in question - the video ends with the caption ” Better call your tattoo guy.”

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