Lionel Messi Did Not Dedicate PSG’s Victory Against Maccabi Haifa to Palestine
The Claim
Lionel Messi dedicated his team's victory over Maccabi Haifa to Palestine on September 14, 2022.
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Emerging story
After Paris Saint-Germain defeated Maccabi Haifa on September 14, 2022, users of social media shared news alleging Lionel Messi dedicated his team's victory to the people of Palestine.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be fake.
No official sports news outlets reported that Messi dedicated Maccabi Haifa's victory to Palestine.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Maccabi Haifa
The allegation was made after a match between Maccabi Haifa and Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, in Sammy Ofer Stadium. Maccabi Haifa lost 3-1 to Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi’s 2013 Photo Near Westren Wall Resurfaces Online
While conducting an investigation into the circulating claim, Misbar found numerous false and misleading claims about Messi's trip to Haifa.
On August 25, 2022, social media users allegedly shared a photo of Messi placing a note in the cracks of Jerusalem's Western Wall, claiming that it had been recently taken.
According to Misbar's findings, the photo was taken on August 4, 2013, during the Spanish league champions' brief stopover in the Palestinian territories.
Is Messi Pro-Palestine?
Following Messi's visit to Haifa, online debates erupted over whether he supported Palestine or not.
Users online circulated a fabricated photo of Messi carrying a t-shirt that read "Free Palestine" in order to convince others that he supported Palestine.
An extensive investigation revealed that the fake photo had been circulating online since 2015 with various flags and logos.
However, Misbar was unable to locate any official statement from Messi stating that he supports Palestine.
Numerous false allegations attributed to Lionel Messi have already been debunked by our team.
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