The Palestine-Israel conflict has been ongoing for nearly eight decades, and it intensified further after Hamas’s sudden bombing attack on October 7, 2023. Thousands of people have died in this conflict, hundreds of thousands have been injured, and countless Palestinians have lost their homes and are now living as refugees.
Various rumors surrounding one of the world’s top football stars, Cristiano Ronaldo, have long circulated regarding the Palestine-Israel issue. Known for his participation in humanitarian activities, this star has been the subject of false information spread on social media. Recently, two separate videos were circulated on Facebook claiming that he spoke to the media in support of Palestine.
Watch the first video circulated with this claim here (archive) and here (archive).
Watch another video circulated with the same claim here (archive), here (archive), and here (archive).
Fact-check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation found that the videos circulated claiming Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to the media in support of Palestine are not authentic. In reality, the viral videos were created by editing two different media interviews of Ronaldo using artificial intelligence to alter the original voice.
Video Verification 1
In the first video circulated with the claim, he is seen wearing a tracksuit with the logo of Al Nassr FC, a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Based on information found during the investigation of the video, a keyword search led to a video published on February 14 on the Facebook page of the Qatar-based media outlet Al Kass Channels.
Upon reviewing the video, it was found that from the 8-second mark to the end, the footage is identical to the viral video. In both videos, he is seen in the same tracksuit, at the same location, and speaking to the same media outlet. However, in that video, he is not seen speaking about Palestine. Instead, he is heard responding to media questions about a match victory with various comments.
Later, by translating the title of that video post into English, it was found that the video features his interview about Al Nassr’s victory over another Saudi football club, Al Ahli. This has no connection to Palestine. This clearly indicates that the voice in the viral video was generated using AI (artificial intelligence) technology and added to the original footage.
Video Verification 2
Investigating the second video using reverse image search led to a video posted on January 13, 2022, on a YouTube channel called BeanymanSports.
Upon reviewing the video, it was observed that the Manchester United tracksuit he was wearing, his earrings, and the surrounding environment all matched exactly with those in the viral video. However, in the video, he is heard talking about the Premier League instead of the Palestine issue. Moreover, some unnatural movements in his face are noticeable in parts of the viral video.
Later, using a keyword search, the full interview video was found on the Sky Sports Premier League website: “I’m not at Man Utd to compete for 6th or 7th!” | Cristiano Ronaldo says Ralf Rangnick needs time. However, nowhere in the interview is he heard speaking about Palestine.
In other words, the voice in that video was also added to the original using AI technology.
Conclusion
The videos claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to the media in support of Palestine are edited.
Sources
- Al Kass Channels Facebook Page Post
- BeanymanSports YouTube Channel: Cristiano Ronaldo says the Premier League is by far the best league in the world
- Sky Sports Premier League YouTube Channel: “I’m not at Man Utd to compete for 6th or 7th!” | Cristiano Ronaldo says Ralf Rangnick needs time
- Rumor Scanner’s Analysis
