FACT CHECK: Did A Satirical Magazine Run A Cover With Ukrainians Vandalizing A World Cup Poster With Nazi Symbols?
An image shared on social media purportedly shows a cover from satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo portraying Ukrainian fans drawing pro-Nazi symbols.
🇫🇷 France Charlie Hebdo rolled out a special issue about the adventures of Ukrainian 🇺🇦Nazis in Qatar
A satire on a recent incident in Doha, where 3 drunken Ukrainian tourists painted Hitler’s moustache on the mascot of the World Cup.#Qatar2022 #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/oiy9KPtffe
— Dr_Sh (@drshpk) November 27, 2022
Verdict: False
The cover is digitally fabricated. There is no evidence that Charlie Hebdo published this cover.
Fact Check:
The USA soccer team recently defeated Iran to advance to the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup, CBS News reported. A bid that would have hosted the 2030 World Cup in Ukraine was likely killed after the country’s football association chief was arrested over fraud and money-laundering allegations, The Guardian reported.
The Facebook post allegedly shows a cover from French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. The image features a cartoon of two soccer players dressed in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine’s flag, vandalizing the Qatar World Cup 2022 poster with Nazi imagery.
“France Charlie Hebdo rolled out a special issue about the adventures of Ukrainian Nazis in Qatar,” the caption reads. “A satire on a recent incident in Doha, where three drunken Ukrainian tourists painted Hitler’s moustache on the mascot of the World Cup.”
The cover is digitally fabricated. There are no credible news reports that supports this claim. There is no such cover appearing anywhere on Charlie Hebdo’s verified social media accounts. Likewise, this cover is not found on their website.
Charlie Hebdo’s World Cup special features a cartoon of skeletons in a soccer stadium. There is no reference to Nazi symbols on the cover. (RELATED: Did Justin Trudeau Tweet About Limiting Sexual Partners Due To Monkeypox?)
The claim regarding Ukrainian fans being arrested in Doha is also incorrect. The outlet the news was attributed to, Al Jazeera, published an article, along with a statement, debunking the claim.
This is not the first time misinformation about the World Cup has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Germany was denied entry on account of a pro-diversity mural on their plane.
