Fact check: Viral video of Algerian fans chanting against Messi is manipulated

A viral video viewed millions of times online allegedly showed Algerian football fans chanting against Lionel Messi ahead of the 2026 World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria in Kansas City. Social media posts claimed supporters were singing: "Messi is the enemy of Allah, Allah is on our side, and Algeria will destroy the infidel nation of Argentina." French far-right politician Jean Messiha also shared the clip.

However, an investigation by France 24's Truth or Fake program found the video to be misleading. The Arabic chant has nothing to do with Messi or football; it is a long-standing protest chant against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The original lyrics translate to: "There is no God but Allah, Mohammed is his messenger, Sisi is the enemy of God." The phonetic similarity between "Sisi" and "Messi" was exploited to create a false connection.

Further analysis revealed the footage was not filmed at the World Cup. Landmarks such as Zara and H&M stores visible in the clip helped geolocate it to Rotterdam, Netherlands, where Algeria played a friendly match against the Netherlands on June 3. The audio track was taken from a YouTube video of a protest in Algeria uploaded six years ago.

Neither the footage nor the audio is connected to Lionel Messi or Argentina. The manipulated video combines unrelated elements to spread misinformation targeting Messi and Algerian fans.