The original photo has Messi holding a placard showing the name of a retailer that is also his official and exclusive worldwide partner and licensee
Rating: ALTERED IMAGE
Why we fact-checked this: The altered image has gained 850 comments, 780 shares, 8,600 likes, and 664,200 views as of writing.
The photo was posted on X (formerly Twitter) on November 1 by user Gad Saad (@GadSaad), a verified account holder with over 765,000 followers. Saad is a marketing professor based in Canada and a published author.
The photo circulated amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The facts: The photo showing Messi holding the national flag of Israel was digitally altered. This image does not appear anywhere on Messi’s official and verified Instagram account.
In the original photo, Messi was holding a placard with text that reads: “ICONS.COM SIGNED BY THE WORLD’S BEST.”
SPORTS ICON. Football player Lionel Messi holds a placard showing Icons.com is a retailer of signed sports memorabilia.
Icons.com is a retailer of signed sports memorabilia and is Messi’s official and exclusive worldwide signing partner and licensee. It offers items such as jerseys and shoes signed by the football star.
Icons.com also has partnerships with Premier League clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester, among others.
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