A video circulating on social media platforms X and Facebook on Wednesday, claiming to show Lionel Messi winking at a referee during Argentina's match against Egypt on July 7, has been debunked. The clip actually originates from Argentina's contest with Cape Verde on July 4.
Origin of the Viral Video
An X user, identified as a football fan, shared the video with the caption: “Messi was spotted winking at the referee after Argentina were 2:0 down.” The post garnered 1.5 million views. Another user on Facebook posted the same clip with “Messi winked at the referee, no words needed,” gaining 753,000 views. Additional posts accumulated hundreds of thousands of views, collectively reaching over 2.5 million views across platforms.
Context of Controversy
The video spread amid backlash over match-fixing accusations following Argentina's 3-2 comeback win over Egypt. Football fans criticized a controversial VAR decision that disallowed Egypt's third goal, ruling that Egypt's Marwan Attia fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan also argued after two denied penalty calls, including an alleged foul on Mohamed Salah before a decisive Argentinian breakaway.
Fact-Check Methodology
iVerify Pakistan conducted a fact-check due to high virality and public interest. Analysis revealed a username in the video, leading to a TikTok post from July 4 with the caption “Cape Verde Had it.” The video's venue, visible under the FIFA logo at the six-second mark, was Miami, while the Egypt-Argentina match was played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. FIFA's official website and outlets like Al Jazeera, Reuters, and The Guardian confirm Argentina played Cape Verde in Miami on July 4.
Conclusion
The claim that the video shows Messi winking at the referee after the Egypt match is misleading. The clip is from Argentina's July 4 match against Cape Verde, as confirmed by multiple sources and timestamps.
