Debunked: Picture of Netanyahu supporting Argentina at the World Cup is AI-generated - The Journal

In June 2024, social media posts began circulating images that appeared to show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending a World Cup match between Argentina and Austria in Arlington, Texas. The posts claimed the leader was present at the game despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, using the visuals to suggest he was defying international legal repercussions.

What happened

The images were identified as AI-generated fabrications. While the pictures were visually convincing, close inspection revealed distortions in the crests on the jerseys, including blurred and incorrectly sized text on the Austrian emblem. Further verification conducted by The Journal utilized a tool provided by OpenAI to detect a "SynthID," an invisible digital watermark intentionally embedded by specific AI image generators to mark synthetic content.

Evidence confirming the deception was reinforced by the Prime Minister's actual whereabouts on the day of the match. On June 22, 2024, Netanyahu was documented in Jerusalem meeting with a politician from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additionally, he was photographed in his office on that same day alongside retired United States military generals and admirals. These records directly contradict the narrative presented in the viral posts, which sought to exploit the context of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to spread misinformation. This incident highlights the growing prevalence of synthetic media in online discourse, where sophisticated AI tools are increasingly used to create realistic but entirely fabricated events.