The World Cup has officially begun, ushering in a surge of AI‑generated misinformation, including fabricated fans, invented political statements, and false attributions to athletes.
A viral image that amassed over 3 million views on X purportedly depicted a spectator resembling Adolf Hitler at the Germany‑Curaçao match on 14 June. The picture spread across Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Reddit in multiple languages, garnering thousands of additional views. In reality, the image was digitally altered; an analysis of the original footage released by German broadcaster ARD demonstrates that the actual fan bore no resemblance to the fabricated depiction.
An OpenAI image‑verification scan detected a SynthID watermark, confirming that the picture was generated or modified by artificial intelligence.
A separate fabricated image placed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu among the crowd during Argentina’s match against Austria on 22 June. No credible source confirms his presence, and the image exhibits clear indicators of AI generation.
Footballers targeted in miscaptioned posts
A post that attracted three million views on X alleged that Swedish footballer Lucas Bergvall told journalists that women enamored with him should “stop voting for mass migration.”
The clip, however, does not originate from the World Cup; it was first posted in March by Swedish sports broadcaster Viaplay on TikTok.
In the actual interview, Bergvall made no mention of immigration.
Instead, he addressed questions ahead of Sweden’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Poland, a match Sweden won 3‑2.
“Like you said, it’s nice to be able to play in the last game,” Bergvall said in response to the interviewer’s question about his role in the game at the time. “Against Poland it’s up to the coach who plays, but I’m ready if I get to start or not at all. It feels good.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Croatia jersey?
Another fabricated image depicting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wearing a Croatia jersey alongside former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has circulated on social media since the tournament’s outset.
A reverse image search uncovered the original photograph, which Angela Rayner posted on X in June 2024 and subsequently featured in outlets such as The Telegraph.
In the original image, captured during the 2024 UEFA European Championship in Germany, Starmer is dressed in a white T‑shirt, while Rayner wears an England jersey.
AI-manipulated images of Iranian team
An image purportedly showing a member of Iran’s World Cup squad holding a pink backpack went viral, presented as a tribute to schoolchildren killed in a February 28 strike in the Iranian city of Minab.
One version of the picture, viewed more than two million times on X, claimed to depict a player holding a backpack with the caption “Paying Tribute to the 168 school girls murdered by Donald Trump.”
It also circulated on X and Bluesky, with additional posts viewed by thousands.
Iranian footballers did carry children’s backpacks onto the pitch in March during a friendly match against Nigeria in Turkey.
However, the image is fabricated; the player depicted is not part of Iran’s official squad, and his kit does not correspond to the nation’s World Cup attire.
The stadium shown differs from the Los Angeles venue where the match actually occurred, and OpenAI’s verification tool identified a SynthID watermark.
Neither the United States nor Israel has claimed responsibility for the strike; former U.S. President Donald Trump initially suggested Iran bears responsibility.
Investigations by The New York Times and investigative outlet Bellingcat found evidence that a US Tomahawk cruise missile was used in the incident.
On Wednesday, Trump said it may never be determined who was responsible for the strike. The Pentagon opened an internal US military investigation into the incident, the results of which have not yet been made public.
