Fake Quote Attributed to Lionel Messi
Fake claim circulating since 2018 (Screenshot).
The Claim
Lionel Messi stated he refused to play a match against Israel.
News posted on
Emerging story
An image doing rounds on social media quotes the Argentinian soccer football player Lionel Messi refused to play a match against Israel. Users claimed his statement came after the Israeli army killed innocent Palestinian children.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: Misbar did not find any evidence that Messi said the quote, circulating online since at least 2018.
However, Messi has not shared anything on his official social media accounts related to Palestine or Israel in 2021.
In June 2018, Martin Arvelo, an Argentinian journalist, debunked the same claim on his official Twitter account.
“What you write is false,” a translation of the tweet.
Misbar’s Classification
Fake
