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World Cup Ref Missing? Hoax Sparks Outrage
21 Jul
Summary
- A referee's disappearance after the World Cup final was a hoax.
- The claim originated from a parody news Instagram page.
- Social media and another website spread the false report widely.
The FIFA World Cup Final concluded on Sunday with Spain emerging victorious over Argentina. In the aftermath, a baseless rumor spread that the match referee, Slavko Vinčić, had gone missing. This fabricated news originated from an Instagram parody account known for publishing fake news.
The untrue claim gained significant traction on social media platforms. It was subsequently picked up by another website which reported the parody story as factual, adding unsubstantiated details about investigations into the referee. This amplification caused widespread belief that the referee had disappeared.
However, it has been confirmed that Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić is not missing. The viral rumor was entirely based on misinformation from a parody news source, which unfortunately spread rapidly and misled many football fans globally.
