Iran has entered the World Cup under the shadow of war in the Middle East but images shared online purportedly showing Iranian players praying on the football pitch are AI-generated. The pictures contain visual inconsistencies indicative of synthetic content and were flagged as made with OpenAI tools. An AFP photographer who covered Iran's recent matches also confirmed the scene of worship did not happen at the pitch.
"On the World Cup stage, the Iranian football team demonstrated not only their love for football but also deep love and respect for the Quran," reads part of a Bengali-language Facebook post shared on June 15, 2026.
The post includes an image that appear to show Iranian players bowing down to touch the ground to pray -- known as sujud -- before the Quran.
Another image posted on Facebook on June 16 with a similar caption shows what appear to be Iranian players prostrate in a circle with the Quran at the centre.
Similar posts surfaced elsewhere on Facebook as Iran's first game ended in a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on June 15 (archived link).
"On the World Cup stage, the Iranian football team demonstrated not only their love for football but also deep love and respect for the Quran," reads part of a Bengali-language Facebook post shared on June 15, 2026.
The post includes an image that appear to show Iranian players bowing down to touch the ground to pray -- known as sujud -- before the Quran.
Another image posted on Facebook on June 16 with a similar caption shows what appear to be Iranian players prostrate in a circle with the Quran at the centre.
Similar posts surfaced elsewhere on Facebook as Iran's first game ended in a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on June 15 (archived link).
2 months ago
