(JNS) Major international sporting events are increasingly being exploited to spread antisemitic conspiracy theories online, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup serving as the latest vehicle for claims that Jews secretly control global institutions and even Argentina’s soccer star Lionel Messi, according to new research by Israeli nonprofit CyberWell.
The Tel Aviv-based organization, which works with Meta, TikTok and YouTube to identify and report online antisemitism, said it alerted social media platforms during the final week of June after uncovering dozens of posts in English, Arabic and French that used the World Cup to promote anti-Jewish narratives.
Among the most prominent themes were false claims that Jews control FIFA, governments, the media and world events, alongside repeated references to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the notorious antisemitic forgery that has fueled conspiracy theories for more than a century.
Following Argentina’s victory over Algeria, CyberWell found posts falsely claiming that Messi is Jewish, controlled by Jews or benefiting from alleged Jewish influence over FIFA and the World Cup. Messi, widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest soccer player, has visited Israel several times, including with FC Barcelona in 2013.
“The...
Footage widely circulated online led to the spread of misinformation after a family of holidaymakers visited the site from London. A family-run holiday park has found itself the target of online ab...