Image shows crowds at Lollapalooza, not Lionel Messi fans in Paris
Image shows crowds at Lollapalooza, not Lionel Messi fans in Paris
(Reuters) - A photograph showing crowds at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago has been miscaptioned, with some on social media saying it depicts fans of Lionel Messi gathering in Paris.
Numerous posts sharing the image were accompanied by a caption that reads: “The people of Paris waiting for Lionel Messi, WOW!!”
Another user who shared the image on Facebook said: “The people of Paris welcoming Lionel Messi. And this isn’t even his presentation, just his arrival.”
“This isn t political rally but a crowd to welcome Leo Messi in Paris! THIS MAN IS BIGGER THAN ANY SPORT,” another said.
“Three weeks [sic] time, the Messi-variant strikes Paris,” one user added in the comments. “Lets [sic] put France on the red list right now,” another said.
— Colin Hinkle (@hinklecolin) July 31, 2021
However, the image is not of Paris, rather it depicts crowds at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, taken in July 2021.
The image was shared in numerous publications such as Business Insider and Yahoo with credit to photographer Colin Hinkle.
Hinkle shared the image on Twitter on July 31 and tagged the music festival.
The miscaptioned image began circulating on Aug 10 after Messi reached an agreement to join Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his departure from Barcelona.
A crowd greeted Messi at Le Bourget Airport on the outskirts of the French capital upon his arrival.
VERDICT
Miscaptioned. The image shows crowds at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago and not gatherings for the footballer Lionel Messi in Paris.
