Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Last week Croatia stunned Brazil on penalties and secured a spot in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In this background, a video showing a band performing on the street, surrounded by a sea of people hopping and singing in chorus is going viral on social media. Those who shared the footage claim it shows the “Croatians (Croats) celebrating their entry into the semi finals…!” Newschecker found the claim to be untrue. The video is at least four years old and shows visuals from an annual festival that is organised in Spain.
Several Facebook and Twitter users shared the video claiming to show “how Croatians were celebrating” after their team’s win over Brazil in the ongoing football World Cup.
Links to such posts can be found here, here, here, here, here and here.
Also Read: FIFA World Cup- Old Video From Morocco Shared As Fans Singing Pro-Palestine Song At Qatar Stadium
Fact Check/Verification
A keyword search for “Croatia,” “celebrating” & “World Cup” on Facebook led us to a post dated July 19, 2018, carrying the viral video with the caption “Near President palace… Croatia…. celebrating their runners-up success in the football world cup!!” Additionally, we found several posts from July 2018 carrying a clipped version of the viral footage, confirming that the video is not linked to Croatia’s recent win over Brazil in FIFA World Cup, and is at least four years old.
To ascertain the whereabouts of the viral clip, we conducted a Google reverse image search on its keyframes which yielded an advisory on Spain’s annual San Fermin festival, published in the official website of the UK government.
It featured a photograph showing the similar visuals as seen in the viral video – a group with red hats in the middle surrounded by a sea of people.
Taking a clue, we looked by “San Fermín España” on YouTube and found a video by Navarratv, dated July 6, 2018, ‘...San Fermin 2018 (translated from Spanish).’ Around 40 seconds into the video, we spotted visuals similar to those seen in the viral footage – a band with red hats surrounded by people, the architecture of the buildings. The music and chorus heard in the YouTube video was also identical to the one in the viral footage.
We came across a video of the same ceremony from a different angle.It can be seen below.
Notably, San Fermin or Fiesta de San Fermín festival is held annually in Pamplona, Spain, from July 6 to July 14 in honour of the city’s first bishop and patron saint, Saint Fermín. The fiesta starts with fireworks at noon on July 6, followed by the singing of the traditional song “Pamploneses, Viva San Fermín, Gora San Fermín” (“People of Pamplona, Long Live Saint Fermín”). The famous ‘Running of the Bulls’ event is also a part of this festival.
We found videos from different years showcasing the visuals from the San Fermin festival – the location, the composition of the crowd, the red-hat band, and the chorus remaining nearly the same every time. Such videos can be seen here, here, here and here.
Further, a report by New Strait Times, dated July 6, 2019, identified the band seen in the viral video as a traditional ‘gaiteros’ band that performs during the firing of the ‘chupinazo’, marking the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin at City Hall Square in Pamplona, Spain. In the report, we also spotted a banner in Spanish as seen in the viral video.
Since it is an annual ceremony, we were not independently able to determine the exact year when the video was shot. However, it is at least four-year-old.
Conclusion
Old video showing the opening ceremony of the San Fermin festival in Spain is being passed off as celebrations in Croatia after their team qualified for the semis of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Result: False
Sources
YouTube Video By Navarratv, Dated July 6, 2018
Report By New Strait Times, Dated July 6, 2019
Self Analysis
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
