Sports

Did Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham say she was considering retirement after her controversy with DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Cunningham ever publicly stated that she was considering retirement. The claim is not supported by any official announcement from the team or by information on the Fever's website. The claim…

Does a real photo show athletes wearing medals flipping the bird at President Donald Trump's back during the Patriot Games on Aug. 11, 2026, in Geneva, Ohio? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Trump was ever flipped off by the young athletes sitting behind him during the event. The image contains visual inconsistencies commonly associated with AI-generated…

Did a real sports journalist named "Marc Jacobs" report that Russell Westbrook was signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel? No, that's not true: There was no evidence that Westbrook, a 37-year-old NBA free agent, had signed with the Israeli professional team as of Aug. 12, 2026. The claim came from a fake sports reporter on a parody account, citing…

Did the Indiana Fever fire head coach Stephanie White on Aug. 10, 2026? No, that's not true: The claim is not supported by any official announcement from the team and was not found on the Fever website. In addition, White appeared at the team's media availability on Aug. 10, 2026, alongside two of her players. The claim appeared in a…

Does a real video show Chicago Sky player DiJonai Carrington saying Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham should be charged with assault for nearly pulling off her wig? No, that's not true: The video is AI-generated. An online detection tool found the video was 81.4% likely AI-generated. There are no credible news reports of Carrington making the accusation against Cunningham. The…

Does a real video show a cyclist powering a Mercedes on the Autobahn at highway speeds? No, that's not true: The Hive Moderation content detection tool rated the video with a 99.7% likelihood of being AI-generated. Lead Stories found several AI glitches after a visual inspection of this clip. The video appeared in a post (archived here) published by the…

Is there a real photo of WNBA players Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark wearing T-shirts with the words "XX-XY Athletics" printed on them? No, that's not true: The image was created with AI, as a verification tool showed. There are no credible news reports of the image being real. The claim appeared in a post made on X by user…

Did basketball player Sophie Cunningham refuse to apologize for her words about transgender athletes in women's sports and thus get suspended for five games? No, that's not true: This story originated as self-described satire. As of this writing, Cunningham was not suspended. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X by @mcafeenew on July 30, 2026. It opened:…

Did Caitlin Clark "clap back" at Angel Reese, knocking her, or a Golden State Valkyries player, to the floor? No, that's not true: This video clip is AI-generated. It was based on a real altercation between Indiana Fever's star Caitlin Clark and the Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun during a May 22, 2026, game in Indianapolis. Real game footage was used…

Did WNBA star Sophie Cunningham say LeBron James "doesn't have the correct genitalia" to discuss transgender women in sports? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page known for posting satirical content that carries the disclaimer, "Nothing on this page is real." The image in the original post also bears the same warning label. Lead Stories found…

Did Inter Miami player Germán Berterame die as a result of a collision seen in a video of a match against Montréal on July 25, 2026? No, that's not true: Berterame collapsed on the field after being struck in the head by Efraín Morales' elbow in the 70th minute of the match. He spent the night at Montréal General Hospital…

Did the WNBA tell Sophie Cunningham she can no longer point because it is racially derogatory? No, that's not true: There is no evidence the WNBA banned Indiana Fever player Cunningham from pointing at other players or selling merchandise of her viral pointing moment. Neither the WNBA nor the Women's National Basketball Players Association banned Cunningham from selling merchandise from…

Does a real photo show Lamine Yamal's little brother Keyne with bundles of cash and the world cup trophy? No, that's not true: The image is AI-generated, it was originally posted on Instagram with an AI disclaimer by an account listing itself as an "AI Nostalgia & Multiverse Creator". AI detection tools at Hive Moderation and Google Gemini both found…

Did soccer player Lamine Yamal show a keffiyeh during one of the Spain games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? No, that's not true: The rumor was based on a digitally altered image taken during a match between Spain and Saudi Arabia in mid-June 2026. Multiple photos of that scene published by credible journalistic organizations showed Yamal celebrating his goal…

Is a photo showing Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal draped in the Palestine flag and holding the World Cup trophy real? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Yamal wore a Palestinian flag over his shoulders after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final on July 19, 2026. The fake image closely resembles authentic photos showing the…

Did the fireworks at the World Cup finals have blue smoke, suggesting that the game had been rigged for Argentina, but Spain upset those plans? No, that's not true: The fireworks smoke was white during the closing ceremony. The footage in question is real, but it has been re-recorded and altered to change the color of the smoke from white…

Does a viral clip accurately document what happened during the 2026 FIFA World Cup award ceremony when Spanish soccer player Lamine Yamal came to the podium to receive a medal from Donald Trump? No, that's not true: Contrary to claims on social media, Yamal didn't refuse to shake hands with U.S. President Donald Trump: their handshake was well-documented by multiple…

Does a Spanish team photo from the World Cup trophy presentation have U.S. President Donald Trump edited out of it? No, that's not true: Trump was not removed -- digitally or otherwise -- from the photo. Broadcast footage of the ceremony shows Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino just outside the frame. The claim appeared in a post and image…

Does a viral video show a referee who officiated the 2026 FIFA World Cup final crying over Argentina's defeat? No, that's not true: That referee retired three years before that game. Social media posts reused a clip from his last match when the emotional response was prompted by the greetings from the players, not by an outcome of a game.…

Did FIFA President Gianni Infantino announce that the organization was going to wait until after the final 2026 World Cup game to make a decision regarding the Falklands banner displayed by players from Argentina after their win over England? No, that's not true: The account that posted the quote is a parody account. There have been no announcements by FIFA…