A photo showing a fan in a German jersey, holding a German flag, and resembling Adolf Hitler at the Germany-Curacao match on 15/6 recently went viral on social media. One post on social media platform X alone garnered over 3 million views. The image spread rapidly across various social media platforms, accompanied by posts in multiple languages.

Fake photo of a fan resembling Adolf Hitler during the Germany - Curacao match on 15/6. *Photo: AFP*

German public broadcaster DW verified the image, confirming it as fake. According to DW, the alleged Hitler-like fan image appeared to be a screenshot from the match's television broadcast, complete with a timestamp from first-half stoppage time.

This moment captured fans celebrating Kai Havertz's penalty goal, which extended Germany's lead to 3-1. DW cross-referenced the image with the original broadcast footage and confirmed that the alleged Hitler-like fan was completely absent from the frame.

The original photo was edited. *Photo: AFP*

DW also located similar photo angles of the fan group and confirmed, based on images from Imago, that no fan resembling Hitler was present.

Photo of the group of fans from a wider angle. *Photo: Imago*

Furthermore, DW identified signs of artificial intelligence manipulation within the image. X's Grok tool characterized it as an inauthentic photo, digitally altered by superimposing Adolf Hitler's face onto a crowd of spectators at the World Cup 2026.

The German media outlet concluded that the image of the Hitler-like fan is part of a broader trend of generating misinformation to attract attention. This form of fabricated content has circulated both before and during the World Cup.

Ngoc Anh (According to DW, AFP)