World Cup antisemitism targets Lionel Messi, revives old anti-Jewish myths

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Israeli nonprofit CyberWell identified a surge of antisemitic social media posts in English, Arabic, and French. These posts falsely claimed that Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi is Jewish or controlled by Jews, and recycled conspiracy theories about Jewish control of FIFA, governments, and media. CyberWell, which works with Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, alerted platforms to dozens of posts promoting these narratives, often referencing "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, CyberWell founder, stated, "The World Cup commands a global stage of billions, and that visibility is exploited by those seeking to spread antisemitic conspiracy theories." The organization highlighted the challenge for content moderation, as many posts use coded language and historical references rather than explicit slurs, necessitating human expertise in addition to AI.