Sports

Did a video show U.S. President Donald Trump stealing the winner's medal of a player after the football Club World Cup Final in July 2025? No, that's not true: The medal in Trump's hands was earlier given to him by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. A widely-shared clip was edited to cut out the moment when the president received the medal…

Does a viral video on social media show Gazans who are fleeing Palestine arriving in Sweden? No, that's not true: The Ruahel Charity Association soccer team shown in the video represents various cities in the West Bank, not Gaza. The video shows players and coaches on a plane as part of a multi-city tour of Europe in July and August…

Did FIFA President Gianni Infantino attack U.S. President Donald Trump over his role in the football Club World Cup Final trophy presentation, saying he "stole the glory that belongs to us"? No, that's not true: A widely-shared video contained fake audio of Infantino's voice. We found no corroboration for the claim that Infantino had lashed out at Trump. The claim…

Did Chelsea FC photoshop President Trump out of their official trophy raising photo after the FIFA Club World Cup final? No, that's not true: A viral image that was digitally edited to remove Trump from the scene did not appear on the soccer club's official social media accounts. The image they actually posted does show Trump in the background. The…

Is Paige Bueckers 0-4 in collegiate and WNBA games that match her up against Caitlin Clark, as a social media post claims? No, that's not true: Bueckers and the University of Connecticut Huskies defeated Clark and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes 92-72 in the 2021 NCAA tournament. At the time the claim was posted, Clark and the Indiana Fever had…

Did Kansas City Chiefs Coach Andy Reid publicly say that he will pay for the funerals of the Texas flood victims? No, that's not true: No credible media organizations reported that. The claim followed the pattern seen in other unsubstantiated rumors about celebrities that began to circulate on the internet shortly after the natural disaster. The claim appeared in an…

Did Ohio State football coach Ryan Day donate more than $3.5 million dollars to victims of the 2025 Texas floods? No, that's not true: No credible media organization reported that, nor did Day himself. The viral claim emerged from a website that didn't disclose the editorial team behind it and warns its readers that it functions "without warranty of any…

Did tennis star Coco Gauff donate $3 million to support Texas flood victims? No, that's not true: The story was spread by unreliable clickbait websites on Facebook. There were no media reports about such a donation and Gauff's social media accounts did not make any mention of it either. The story appeared in an article (archived here) where it was…

Did the former NFL quarterback Tom Brady donate $50 million to help recovery efforts after devastating flooding in parts of Texas, in July 2025? No, that's not true: We found no corroboration for a blog post that was shared widely and also claimed Brady had personally joined rescue and recovery efforts on the ground. A statement attributed to Brady was…

Did WWE issue an announcement saying that a World Wrestling Entertainment event scheduled for June 28, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, "will proceed as planned"? No, that's not true: What looked like a statement from the organization was first published on meme and satire pages. As of this writing, WWE hadn't cancelled the event, but also hadn't confirmed that its…

Does a trending video authentically capture U.S. President Donald Trump missing the ball on a golf course in 2025, then grabbing it off the ground before anyone notices? No, that's not true: The footage was digitally altered and had the watermark of an Instagtram account with a bio that read "graphic satirist". The original, of Trump striking the ball at…

Did basketball team Indiana Fever sign up Gertrud Schlaghammer to protect star player Caitlin Clark? No, that's not true: The announcement about the "former Olympic Greco Roman wrestling silver medalist and ex-German special forces operative" was posted on a Facebook page dedicated to sports satire. There was no such announcement on the actual Indiana Fever X account, despite the fake…

Did NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace call for the white flag, which signals the final lap of a race, to be banned, in June 2025? No, that's not true: The rumor originated on a Facebook page that publishes sports-related "sports parodies" and "satire". Wallace, who is Black, previously called for NASCAR to ban displays of the Confederate flag at races, which…

Did The International Olympic Committee plan a vote on moving the 2028 Games out of Los Angeles? No, that's not true: The meme spreading that news originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer and a warning that all the contents of the page are made up.The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and…

Did former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning buy a dog rescue shelter that was about to close? No, that's not true: A viral Facebook post contained no more than fan fiction and an image that appeared to be AI-generated. The page that published it regularly posts similar heartwarming (and fabricated) stories about Manning, along with pictures that appear AI-generated. The story…

Did New Balance publicly cut ties with Simone Biles, ending a $22 million contract after the gymnast criticised activist Riley Gaines in June 2025? No, that's not true: The rumor originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. Quotes attributed to the footwear brand were fabricated. The claim appeared in a June 10, 2025, post on Facebook (archived here),…

Did Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift attend a "No Kings Day" protest and is there a photo to prove it? No, that's not true: A viral story about the appearance of the pair was illustrated with a photo generated with artificial intelligence. The story also mentioned social media posts by the couple that they didn't actually make and there were…

Did former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning adopt a daughter named Lily? No, that's not true: A viral Facebook post contained no more than fan fiction and images that appeared to be AI-generated. The page that published it regularly posts similar heartwarming (and fabricated) stories about Manning, along with pictures that appear AI-generated. The story appeared in a widely-shared June 10,…

Did sports media report that Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani said "There's a right way and a wrong way to get into this country. They broke the law- they have to go." when commenting on recent LA protests? No, that's not true: That quote appeared on a parody account on X that mimics a baseball podcast named "Talkin' Baseball". There…

Did the International Federation of Football (FIFA) move the World Cup 2026 from the United States because of President Trump's strict immigration policies? No, this is not true: As of June 4, 2025, FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, have not announced any changes to the hosting arrangement for the tournament, which will be held for the first time in…