A viral clip circulating online does not show Algerian fans chanting against Lionel Messi before Algeria's FIFA World Cup meeting with Argentina in Kansas City, Missouri. The claim spread after a June 17, 2026 post on X paired old footage with inflammatory captions about the Algeria vs Argentina fixture, which was played on June 16, 2026.
The video itself shows an Algeria supporters' pep rally on the steps of the World Trade Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, not a pre-match scene in the United States. Visible markers in the clip match the WTC building's globe signage and sheltered steps at that location, where fans gathered ahead of Algeria's June 3, 2026 friendly against the Netherlands. Coverage from June 3 described a positive pre-match atmosphere at that same spot.
The chanting heard in the clip is not live crowd audio from the footage. It comes from a TikTok sound tied to an Egyptian political chant against President Sisi, not from the Rotterdam rally or any Kansas City World Cup venue. That same audio track has been reused across hundreds of TikTok posts.
Deceptive Arabic text overlays on related TikTok uploads falsely placed Algerian fans "in America" ahead of the Argentina match. One clip uploaded on June 14, 2026 carried translated on-screen text reading:
The Algerian fans in AmericaAgainst ArgentinaThere is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Messi is the enemy of God!
Another TikTok posted on June 13, 2026 used different Rotterdam stadium footage outside Stadion Feijenoord while repeating a similar false message:
Algerian fans in America to support the national team against ArgentinaThere is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and Messi is the enemy of God
An earlier stadium clip from June 11, 2026 carried different captions and music before the same crowd audio was swapped in, matching the Rotterdam rally video beat for beat. The Kansas City framing appeared online before and after the June 16 match, even though FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies took place on June 12, 2026.
The post that helped push the claim carried this caption:
"Messi is the enemy of Allah" The fans of Algeria chanted this before the World Cup match against Argentina. EVERYTHING is Jihad for Muslims. EVERYTHING!
Nothing in the verified footage or audio confirms Algerian supporters made that chant in Kansas City before Algeria vs Argentina. The clip is mislabeled Rotterdam rally video paired with unrelated TikTok audio and false on-screen text.
