JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Did Cristiano Ronaldo Really Tell Children of Gaza ‘The World Is With You’? Exploring Viral Rumor
In late May 2024, a video supposedly showed Cristiano Ronaldo supporting the children of Gaza. But is the claim true? Let’s find out
Disclaimer: The article mentions death and war.
A video that went viral in late May 2024 claimed to show ace footballer Cristiano Ronaldo supporting the children of Gaza. Many shared the 24-second video online, claiming it shows Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer player, supporting the "children of Gaza."
"This is for the children of Gaza. We know you have been suffering a lot. I am a very famous player, but you are the true heroes. Don’t lose your hope, the world is with you. We care about you. I am with you," Ronaldo is supposedly heard saying in the video.
The video has now garnered quite the attention due to the recent attacks by Israel on Palestine that killed at least 45, including children, in Rafah. Several countries and human rights groups have and continue to strongly criticize these attacks.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo really say the world stands with the children of Gaza?
Although most of the video is real, someone edited it to add the word "Gaza," in the wake of the ongoing conflict. This editing made Ronaldo's lips not match the words exactly, especially at the part where he says “Gaza.”
You can find the original video on Ronaldo's Facebook page. It was posted on December 23, 2016, so it proves it’s not related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas that started in October 2023.
In the original video, Ronaldo talks about the children caught in the Syrian Civil War, which started in 2011. He says everything exactly as in the altered video but replaces "children of Gaza" with "children of Syria."
In 2016, the charity Save the Children talked about Ronaldo's message to the Syrian kids. Several news outlets like The Washington Post, ESPN, and Anadolu Agency reported this piece of news back then.
Hence, the claim that Ronaldo said the ‘world’ stands with the children of Gaza is ‘false’. The video was digitally changed. And, the original video, dating back to 2016, shows Ronaldo expressing support for the children in Syria.
Why is the altered video gaining widespread popularity?
A graphic image surfaced on the internet, coupled with the slogan ‘All Eyes on Rafah.' It spread widely on social media after the Israel airstrike and fire at a refugee camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah.
The image, and multiple images afterwards have gained over 48 million people views and shares. It shows an aerial vista of a supposed camp in Rafah with organized rows of tents.
However, the real situation in Rafah is very different, showing a city covered in debris, far from the serene image shown online.
This graphic and the social media anger are a response to the death of at least 47 people in an Israeli bombardment at a camp in Rafah, which Israel had previously declared a “safe zone.”
Meanwhile, the altered video footage of the Saudi Pro League footballer has come in the subsequent days and hence garnered widespread attention.
You May Like This
Latest Articles
