FIFA released its team of the World Cup a few days ago, and it stirred up a bit of debate on social media outlets as it looked like FIFA had made some interesting decisions.
In the era of fake news, some find it difficult to discern what is fact and what is not. For two Twitter users, Fredrik (@F_Edits) and @ClinicalFirmino, they single-handedly managed to troll almost every soccer fan in the world.
The FIFA Team of the Tournament is fake. 100% fake. I know this because I made the photo
You can see us discussing the lineup here. We wanted to find a good balance, it had to be controversial but also believable at the same time (I would love to have Fellaini there lmao) pic.twitter.com/1a6T4Py7Dh— Fredrik (@F_Edits) July 18, 2018
It was in fact not FIFA’s team of the World Cup, but rather the work of two Twitter users who even contemplated putting Belgium’s Marouane Fellaini in their team.
If you want more proof that its fake
1. I forgot to put gold on Lloris' name
2. It's the wrong font
3. Paulinho is in the team
4. Here's a gif of me making it pic.twitter.com/ir4hzB5nex— Fredrik (@F_Edits) July 18, 2018
The team looked very legitimate and had fans talking. As you can see from the thread, Fredrik managed to dupe a number of media outlets, and one Mexican newspaper even published the team in print.
Here's a quick list of some of the accounts that not only bought it but also tweeted it out@brfootball @FootyAccums @Sporf@indykaila @TheF2 @FullTimeDEVILS @WilliamHill @ActuFoot_ @stuholden @90min_Football @DaveOCKOP @TheRedmenTV @TheSportsman
and many many more pic.twitter.com/yAtKTBchyl— Fredrik (@F_Edits) July 18, 2018
You lads are genius !, just look what i found today at my mexican newspaper @canchamural pic.twitter.com/RBYN7MwrpQ
— javier Alarc (@JavaAlarc) July 18, 2018
FIFA did not release a team of the World Cup in 2014 though, and Futhead seemed to be the only people that realised this team was probably a hoax. How smart are they! (Editor's note: The18 also did not fall for such tomfoolery.)
Big shoutout to @Futhead who kept their heads cool ;) and did not fall for ithttps://t.co/CXaiYl6nzT
— Fredrik (@F_Edits) July 18, 2018
Twitter user Daniel Nyari (@danielnyari) produced the meme team of the tournament, and if you ask us, that team would have destroyed Didier Deschamp’s French team in the World Cup final.
Something's not right with this team of the tournament pic.twitter.com/IwQdv4mrWf
— Daniel Nyari (@danielnyari) July 17, 2018
Even if FIFA did end up releasing a team of the World Cup, it clearly wouldn’t be as good as ours! Check out The18’s team of the World cup here.