A photo shared on Facebook allegedly shows French President Emmanuel Macron crying while embracing French soccer player, Kylian Mbappé, following the country’s defeat in the 2022 World Cup Final. 

Verdict: False

This image is digitally fabricated. In the original image seen on Reuters Pictures, Macron is not seen crying.

Fact Check: 

France was defeated by Argentina in a penalty shootout during the World Cup Final in Qatar Dec. 18, according to ESPN. Macron stated that while he was sad about the team’s loss, he was proud of the country’s team for their performance, specifically naming Mbappé as one player, The Associated Press reported.

The image, which garnered over 700 Facebook reactions, purportedly shows Macron embracing Mbappé. In the image, Macron is crying while caressing Mbappé’s face. The photo was also shared on Twitter, where it garnered over 200 retweets.

Another angle of the moment can be found on Reuters Pictures. It reveals that the Facebook photo was digitally altered to make it look like Macron was crying. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Emmanuel Macron Being Slapped In 2022?)

Alternate angles of the moment can be seen in an article from Daily Mail and do not show Macron making the face seen in the edited image. Getty Images also posted photos of the embrace. 

Macron tweeted his support for the team following their loss.

Fiers de vous. pic.twitter.com/9RMjIGMKGU

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 18, 2022

This is not the first time misinformation related to the 2022 World Cup has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that German World Cup players were barred from landing in Qatar due to pro-diversity imagery on the side of their plane.