An elaborate hoax circulating on social media claims that French football star Kylian Mbappé has accused President Emmanuel Macron of sexual harassment. The story, which appears to originate from a website designed to impersonate the legitimate sports outlet Eurosport, has been viewed thousands of times on X. It is entirely fabricated.
The fake article, hosted at euro-sport.fr (note the dash, unlike the real eurosport.fr), alleges that Macron’s “inappropriate behaviour” — including unwanted touching, sexual comments, and offers of luxury gifts such as a Rolex watch — was a key reason Mbappé left Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid in 2024. The accompanying video uses a slow, robotic voiceover that is almost certainly AI-generated, lacking natural inflection or emotion.
Clicking any other link on the counterfeit site redirects to the genuine Eurosport page, a common tactic to lend credibility to the deception. The real Eurosport has not published any such report, and no credible news outlet has reported any allegations by Mbappé against Macron.
Context and Memes Fuel the Hoax
The false report appears to feed off a series of viral memes and social media posts that depict Macron as an overly enthusiastic fan of Mbappé. In recent years, the relationship between the two has drawn media attention — for example, reports that Macron urged Mbappé not to leave PSG (which the president denied), and footage of Macron consoling a visibly dejected Mbappé after France’s loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. At the time, many noted that Mbappé seemed emotionally distant, avoiding eye contact, while Macron insisted on comforting him.
More recently, a clip of Macron pulling Mbappé towards him during a French national team photo ahead of the 2026 World Cup has been widely shared. Macron himself posted the photo on his official X account. Some users have taken this as evidence of the president’s admiration, while others have turned it into memes suggesting Mbappé is the “true leader of France” or even a “dictator,” given his status as one of the country’s all-time top goal scorers.
This hoax is the latest example of how easily manipulated media can spread false narratives, especially when they tap into existing public curiosity about the dynamics between a star athlete and a head of state. It also underscores the importance of verifying sources: the difference between euro-sport.fr and eurosport.fr is a single dash, a small detail that can easily be overlooked.
For now, there is no truth to the claim that Mbappé has accused Macron of sexual harassment. The story is a fabrication, and readers should treat any such reports with skepticism.
