After the conclusion of the much-awaited FIFA World Cup Final on Sunday with Spain defeating Argentina, the greatest sporting event on earth came to an end. But the buzz around it has far from died down.
Argentina On FIFA’s Crosshairs
While Spain is celebrating, Argentina is reeling from a defeat in the final of what could be Lionel Messi’s last dance on the FIFA World Cup stage. The frustrations were palpable on the pitch after the match, Argentine players, led by PSG’s Leandro Paredes, lunged at some Spanish players, sparking a disciplinary probe by FIFA.
That has caused many fans to lash out at FIFA, including at the match referee for the final in New Jersey, Slavko Vinčić.
Also read: Lionel Messi issues first reaction after Argentina’s loss in World Cup final: ‘Will take time for wound to heal’
In line with how misinformation often becomes a weapon to express such frustrations, a hoax appeared around Slavko Vinčić on social media that claimed the Slovenian referee had gone missing.
The claim seemed to have originated from a parody news page on Instagram called WKM News, which states in its Instagram bio that they are the “most untrusted news source” and publishes “fake parody news.” The page wrote in the post that FIFA has confirmed that the referee Slavko Vinčić has gone missing.
The news went viral massively, leading many to believe that Slavko Vinčić has indeed gone missing. The parody news was picked up by a website called United Pastor. The report portrayed the news on the Instagram page as real and added claims about his investigations which have no basis in reality.
Ht.com can confirm Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has not gone missing. The claim originated from a parody news website and subsequently went viral on social media on the back of Slavko Vinčić’s sketchy legal history.
Also read: Wayne Rooney calls out Lionel Messi for unsporting behaviour in FIFA World Cup final: ‘Sad to see him do that’
The actions by players of Argentina after their defeat to Spain have put the team in FIFA’s crosshairs. FIFA said on Monday that they have opened a probe into the incident, which took place moments after the final whistle, causing chaos on the field even as Spanish players celebrated.
FIFA confirmed that they have appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate Sunday afternoon’s incident. BBC reports that among the members and staff involved in the incident were Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala, though an official confirmation from FIFA is still pending.
