Fabricated Statement Attributed to Ronaldo Commending Belaïli’s Skills
The Claim
In a statement, Portuguese star player Cristiano Ronaldo praised and commended Algerian striker Youcef Belaïli’s football skills and passes.
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Emerging story
Facebook accounts and pages have recently circulated an alleged statement attributed to Cristiano Ronaldo, in which the Portuguese football star praises football player Youcef Belaïli’s skills and passes. The alleged statement commends the Algerian striker’s skills in the field. The statement refers to two matches Ronaldo has watched: Algeria vs. Morocco and Algeria vs. Qatar. Ronaldo allegedly praised Belaïli’s “unmatched” goal-scoring skills in the former.
Photo Description: The screenshots capture the claim as shared on Facebook.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s team has investigated the circulated claim and found that it was fake. The alleged statement was never found in any prominent sports newspaper, whether AS, Mundo Deportivo, or SPORT. No credible Arab or Algerian media outlet has reported the news, nor has the Algerian player Belaïli himself posted or published anything on the alleged statement.
The 29-year-old Algerian player has terminated his contract with Qatar SC, confirming to beIN Sports that he aims to play in one of the European leagues.
Photo Description: The two screenshots show the news about the contract termination between Qatar SC and the Algerian player Belaïli.
In a statement to the sports website Kooora, Youcef Belaïli said that he could not reveal the names of the clubs he is currently negotiating with, but he said they are all clubs taking part in different European leagues in England, France, and Spain.
The Algerian player said that he did receive some offers from Arab teams, but he said he’d be more likely to join a team in Europe.
Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri
