A POST ON an Irish social media page has incorrectly claimed that Pride flags will be banned from the Fifa Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States next year.

The claim was posted as an image on a Facebook page belonging to the Yellow Vest Ireland group, an Irish protest movement that began in 2019 as an imitation of similar “yellow vest” groups around the world.

“Exclusive: Pride flags banned at 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – No More Woke Pride,” the 11 December post read.

At the time of writing, the post has been shared more than 200 times and has attracted more than 10,000 interactions on Facebook.

The Yellow Vest page that posted the claim frequently posts or re-shares claims that question the existence of Covid-19 and the efficacy of vaccines, that are anti-immigrant or Islamophobic, or which push anti-LGBTQ+ narratives.

The latest post about Pride flags at Fifa’s Club World Cup repeats a claim that has been circulating in recent weeks, and originated on a website called SpaceXMania.

SpaceXMania also describes itself as a parody site, and its About Us page says its mission is to bring readers the “freshest fake news, some sassy analysis, and a good dose of satire”.

On 15 November, the page posted an article with the headline “MLS Stadium Issues Permanent Ban on Pride Flags for FIFA Club World Cup 2025″.

The MLS in the headline refers to Major League Soccer, the governing body for soccer in the United States, where the Club World Cup will be held next year.

The competition, which normally culminates in December every year and used to involve just seven club sides from around the world, has been expanded and revamped from next year.

It will start in July and will now feature 32 teams, and instead of being an annual fixutre will instead take place every four years.

The SpaceXMania article claimed that the decision was taken in an effort to maintain a “neutral and unified playing environment” has left fans, players, and activists sharply divided.

There is nothing overtly satirical about the article; it is not written humourously, and it seems like a legitimate news article with apparently real quotes, including from pro-LGBT groups and Don Garber, the head of the MLS.

However, the bottom of the article contains a note in bold text which reads: “This is SATIRE, It’s Not True.”

A spokesperson for Fifa also told The Journal that there “is no validity to this report”.

“The source is a satirical site which clearly states at the bottom of the story that it is not true,” a statement said. 

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