BY: Abdulraheem Muhammed
Claim:
A viral photo circulating on social media platforms claims to show Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala’s ankle following his recent injury.
caption: misrepresented André Gomes leg for Musiala
Verdict:
Misleading! The image does not show Jamal Musiala’s injury. It is an old photograph from 2019, depicting a serious ankle injury sustained by footballer André Gomes during a Premier League match.
Full Text:
Following reports of Jamal Musiala’s recent leg injury, an old photograph resurfaced on social media, purportedly showing the German international lying on the pitch with a visibly disfigured ankle. The image quickly went viral, attracting widespread sympathy and concern for the Bayern Munich star.
However, the claim accompanying the photo is misleading. The image in question was taken after a Premier League match on November 3, 2019, when André Gomes, then playing for Everton, suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle following a challenge by Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min. The incident occurred in the 74th minute at Goodison Park, and Son was issued a red card.
caption: André Gomes injured
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica traced the viral photo using reverse image search tools and matched it to verified 2019 media reports and footage of the André Gomes injury. The photograph shows Gomes lying on the hospital floor with his ankle injury being attended to by a medical personnel.
Despite this, several X (formerly Twitter) users wrongly attributed the image to Musiala’s recent leg injury. Among those spreading the misinformation were:
@Humanrights256 – 18.1k views, 9 reposts, 2 quotes
@thenew\_guyy9 – 1.8 million views, 1,954 reposts, 546 quotes, 24.2k likes
@futball\_gazette – 6,866 views, 3 reposts, 1 quote, 14 likes
These accounts, among others, contributed to the false narrative, unintentionally misleading the public.
In reality, Jamal Musiala sustained a fractured left fibula, not an ankle dislocation. A fibula fracture refers to a break in the thinner of the two bones in the lower leg. While it is a serious injury, it is distinct from an ankle dislocation, which involves the bones of the ankle joint being forced out of alignment, often accompanied by fractures.
Conclusion:
The viral image claimed to show Jamal Musiala’s ankle injury is misleading and actually depicts André Gomes’ 2019 ankle dislocation. While both injuries are severe, they are different in nature, and sharing inaccurate visuals can cause unnecessary alarm and spread misinformation. Social media users are urged to verify the authenticity of sensitive content before reposting.
