The Jerusalem Post has examined claims circulating online that Argentine football star Lionel Messi is a Zionist, reviewing key moments in his relationship with Israel and Argentina’s Jewish community, while also addressing accusations made against him by public figures and media personalities, particularly in Egypt and Algeria.
According to the newspaper, the discussion resurfaced during the current FIFA World Cup, as Argentina prepared to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday (US time).
The report said that some critics of Israel had pointed to Messi’s previous activities to argue that supporting Argentina was inconsistent with an anti-Zionist position, encouraging football fans to back Switzerland instead.
Introducing its review, the Jerusalem Post wrote:
“Before kick-off, we look back at ten moments in Messi’s career where his public image and global fame intersected with Jewish and Israeli culture through public appearances, peace initiatives and the controversy surrounding him.”
Messi’s Links to Israel Highlighted
The newspaper listed several occasions on which Messi had interacted with Israel or Jewish organisations.
In 2011, he participated in a campaign commemorating the victims of the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA) in Buenos Aires.
In 2013, he sent a message of support to the Argentine delegation participating in the Maccabiah Games, often described as the “Jewish Olympics”, held in Israel.
Later that year, Messi travelled to Israel with Barcelona as part of a “Peace Tour”. During the visit, he prayed at the Al Buraq Wall, met then Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Barcelona also took part in sporting activities involving both Israeli and Palestinian children.
In 2014, Messi supported the “Match for Peace”, an initiative launched by the late Pope Francis to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. However, he did not participate because of injury.
Accusations From Egypt and Algeria
The newspaper also revisited the controversy that erupted in Egypt in 2016 after Messi donated a pair of football boots to a charity auction.
At the time, a former Egyptian Football Association official described Messi as “Jewish” and “Zionist”, referring to his previous visits to Israel.
Azmy Megahed, then the association’s spokesperson, said:
“I know he is Jewish. He donated to Israel, visited the Al Buraq Wall and so on. We do not need his boots, and Egypt’s poor do not need help from someone with Jewish or Zionist nationality.”
Cancelled Match and Commercial Partnerships
In 2018, a planned friendly match between Argentina and Israel was cancelled following a campaign led by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, alongside reports that Messi had received threats.
That same year, FIFA sanctioned Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub after he called on supporters to burn Messi’s photographs and jerseys if he played in the cancelled match.
In 2019, Argentina returned to play another friendly in Tel Aviv despite protests by the BDS movement. Messi scored during the match, which was attended by then Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
The newspaper also noted that between 2017 and 2020, Messi had commercial endorsement agreements with two Israeli companies, Sirin Labs and OrCam.
Renewed Debate During the World Cup
According to the report, Messi again faced criticism only days ago after Argentina defeated Algeria in the World Cup.
An analyst on Algerian television claimed Messi was being protected by the “Jewish lobby”, while some pro-Palestinian activists called on supporters to back Argentina’s opponents because of Messi’s previous ties to Israel.
The Newspaper’s Conclusion
The Jerusalem Post concluded its report by mentioning that the World Zionist Organization used a Hebrew wordplay involving Messi in an educational video released in 2020.
The Hebrew word mesibah means “party” or “celebration”. The newspaper noted that, when pronounced, it resembles the Spanish phrase Messi va, meaning “Messi goes”. The intended joke was that “if Messi goes, there will be a party.”
Did the Newspaper Say Messi Is a Zionist?
Despite reviewing numerous interactions between Messi and Israel, the Jerusalem Post did not cite any statement by Messi identifying himself as a Zionist.
Instead, the report limited itself to documenting episodes involving his visits to Israel, meetings with Israeli officials, commercial partnerships with Israeli companies and his connections with Jewish organisations in Argentina, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions.
