This viral video does not show Messi hugging his mother. – FactCrescendo | The leading fact-checking website in India

The woman in the video is Argentinian national team chef Antonia Farias not Messi’s mother Celia Maria Cuccitini

With Argentina winning the FIFA World Cup title on Sunday social media is flooded with images and videos of star Footballer Lionel Messi. The foot baller who led his team to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years. In this scenario, a video of a woman emotionally hugging the player went viral, with the claim that Messi hugged his mother after the World Cup victory.

The caption of the video states,“Messi with his Mother after winning the final.”

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Fact Check- 

To confirm the veracity of this claim, we first used Google relevant keyword searches to see if Messi’s mother was present at the stadium during the World Cup final. As a result, we discovered that Messi’s mother, ‘Celia Maria Cuccitini,’ was at the stadium, watching her son play. Getty Images had uploaded photographs of his mother, Celia Maria Cuccitini. 

Additionally, Reuters also featured a photograph showing Messi hugging his mother after the World Cup win, however the visuals were different from the one seen in the viral video.

The Sun, dated December 18, 2022, that featured a photograph of an elderly woman with the Argentine footballer with the caption, “Messi enjoyed a special moment with his mother Celia Maria Cuccittini.”

All of these photos show her wearing a purple jersey rather than Argentina’s national jersey. The woman Messi is hugging in the viral video, on the other hand, is wearing Argentina’s official blue-and-white jersey.

Then who is this woman hugging Messi?

In our search we found some reports regarding this, according to Argentine media LA NACION, the woman holding Messi in the viral video is Argentina national team chef Antonia Farias.

Caption reads “Messi’s hug with Antonia Farías, the National Team’s cook”

Infobae, a US-based news agency, also identified the woman as Argentinian national team chef Antonia Farias. According to Infobae, “Antonia Farías, 42, has been working with Leo for a decade and is a key member of the team, as she is one of the cooks who accompanies the players on each trip”

with Lionel Messi and Nehuén Pérez 

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral image to be False. The woman Messi is hugging is not his mother but Argentinian national team chef Antonia Farias.

Title:This viral video does not show Messi hugging his mother.

Fact Check By: Usha Manoj 

Result: False