WHAT WAS CLAIMED
A Facebook page is publishing genuine news about the 2026 World Cup.
OUR VERDICT
False. The stories are fabricated.
AAP FACTCHECK - Somewhere between Canada and Central Africa, the World Cup is being rewritten for Australian soccer fans on social media, one fake story at a time.
The 'Aussie Match Day' account poses as a local fan page on Facebook, but it's actually run by users in Vietnam, Canada, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Central African Republic, according to transparency information.
Its posts encourage readers to click on links to ad-laden websites which contain further false claims.
One post claims Argentina captain Lionel Messi spoke out in "indignation" about an incident during the World Cup final.
During the match, Messi tried to have Spain defender Marc Cucurella sent off for momentarily covering his mouth.
The post claims to quote the Argentina star speaking about the incident.
"'HE INSULTED ME!' – Lionel Messi declared, full of indignation: 'He mocked our pain with a terrible sportsmanship [sic]. We may have lost, but never act that way toward my country. Marc Cucurella has truly crossed the line…'" the post reads.
But a Google search for those phrases shows there are no credible reports of Messi saying those words, which appear to be entirely fabricated.
Another post claimed manager Lionel Scaloni directly blamed an Argentina player for the team's defeat to Spain.
The player in question is not named in the post.
"This is the last time he will ever wear the national team jersey. We have no need for an irresponsible player like him in this squad," the post claims Scaloni said.
However, the Argentina manager did not make this statement in his post-match press conference and a Google search for those words does not return any credible results.
Other posts from the Aussie Match Day page focus on Socceroos players.
"BREAKING NEWS ROCKING AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL: Australia captain Jackson Irvine has reportedly sparked widespread debate after declining to wear an LGBT-themed armband during a national team media event," one caption reads.
"Irvine reportedly criticized what he described as an 'extreme woke agenda,' saying that it is not something he believes should be celebrated."
But there is no evidence this occurred.
Irvine is an outspoken supporter of LGBTQI rights and wore a rainbow-coloured armband while captaining his German Bundesliga club FC St Pauli.
Another post features photos of Socceroos fullback Jordan Bos in tears at a press conference.
However, an analysis of the image using OpenAI's verification tool confirms it is AI-generated.
Additionally, Bos is in the number 14 jersey in the fake image, but he actually wore the number five shirt at the World Cup.
Several other posts falsely claim former Socceroos have been arrested or charged with serious offences.
One post includes a photo of a former Socceroos defender and falsely states he is facing a prison sentence after being charged with domestic violence.
False allegations are also made about a former Australia captain and current assistant coach.
There are no credible reports that the men named have been charged or arrested for any such offences.
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