Following a severe injury sustained by Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala during a Club World Cup quarter-final match against PSG on July 5, 2025, a photo of an injured foot has been circulated on social media, falsely claimed to depict Musiala’s injury from that match. This fact file, authored by FactWatch, examines the claim, analyzes the photo’s origins, and clarifies the misinformation surrounding it.
Background
On July 5, 2025, during a Club World Cup quarter-final match in Atlanta, Bayern Munich’s 22-year-old attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala suffered a serious injury to his left leg following a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Bayern confirmed that Musiala sustained a fractured fibula associated with a dislocated and broken ankle, requiring surgery and a recovery period of at least four months. The incident occurred late in the first half, and Musiala was stretchered off the field, with players from both teams visibly shaken.
Subsequently, a photo of a severely injured foot began circulating on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, with claims that it showed Musiala’s foot after the injury. These posts garnered significant engagement, with one post alone receiving reactions from approximately 40,000 unique accounts.
The Claim
The claim asserts that the circulated photo depicts Jamal Musiala’s foot injury sustained during the July 5, 2025, match against PSG..
Fact-Check
An investigation by the Diplotic team revealed that the photo in question is not recent and does not depict Musiala’s injury from July 5, 2025. Key findings include:
- Photo Origins: A reverse image search of the circulated photo traced it back to a post on X by the account ‘@Hawes_squad’ on November 18, 2018, titled “Rt or bad things will happen.” The post included two images, one of which matched the photo used in the Musiala claim. This confirms the image has been online for at least six years, predating Musiala’s injury by several years.
- Previous Misuse: The same photo was circulated in 2019, falsely claimed to show the injured foot of then-Everton footballer André Gomes. While the exact origin of the photo (i.e., whose foot it depicts) could not be conclusively identified, it is evident that the image is not recent and unrelated to Musiala’s injury.
- Inconsistency with Injury Details: Musiala sustained a fracture to his left fibula and a dislocated ankle in his left leg during the PSG match. However, the circulated photo appears to show an injury to a right foot, further indicating it does not depict Musiala’s injury.
- Sentiment on X: Several X users have debunked the claim, noting the photo’s age and inconsistencies. For instance, users pointed out that the image has been online for years, was previously linked to other injuries, and shows a right leg rather than Musiala’s injured left leg. These posts, while not conclusive evidence, reflect public skepticism about the claim’s validity.
Analysis
The circulation of this old photo as evidence of Musiala’s recent injury is a clear case of misinformation. The image’s long history online, its prior association with unrelated incidents, and its inconsistency with Musiala’s documented left-leg injury all confirm its irrelevance to the July 5, 2025, event.
The claim may have gained traction due to the emotional impact of Musiala’s injury, which was described as “horrific” and left players and fans distressed. Sensationalist images, even if unrelated, can exploit such emotions to drive engagement.
Conclusion
The photo circulated as evidence of Jamal Musiala’s foot injury from the July 5, 2025, PSG match is at least six years old and unrelated to the incident. It has been falsely linked to Musiala’s injury, which involved his left leg, while the photo appears to depict a right foot. Diplotic concludes that the claim is misleading and urges social media users to verify images before sharing, especially in the context of sensitive events like severe injuries.
