A Facebook page recently posted a photo of Paris Saint-Germain fullback Achraf Hakimi holding a Guinness World Records certificate, claiming he was the first defender to record five goal contributions in a single match. The post gained significant attention, with 35,900 likes, 109 comments, and 349 reshares. However, fact-checkers from Dubawa investigated the claim and found no evidence to support its authenticity. The post was made on a Facebook page with the name 532off.
On October 30, 2026, Achraf Hakimi made history by becoming the first defender to record five direct goal contributions in a single Ligue 1 match. During PSG's 5-1 victory over Le Havre, Hakimi scored a hat-trick and provided two assists. This impressive performance was well-documented, with reports from various sources, including PSG's official website.
To verify the claim, Dubawa conducted a thorough investigation, including a keyword search on Google and a search of the Guinness World Records website. No reports or announcements were found regarding Hakimi's recognition by Guinness World Records for this feat. Additionally, a reverse image search using TinEye found zero matches for the image in its database of over 86.5 billion images.
Further investigation was conducted using AI-image detectors, including Sightengine, ZeroGPT, and Illuminarty.ai. The results indicated that the image of Hakimi holding a Guinness World Records certificate was likely AI-generated. Sightengine and ZeroGPT returned a high probability of AI content, with 99% each, while Illuminarty.ai gave a 3.8% likelihood.
The fact-checking team from Dubawa concluded that while Hakimi's five-goal record against Le Havre is well-documented, there is no evidence that Guinness World Records has recognized the feat. The photo of Hakimi holding a Guinness certificate was deemed false and AI-generated.
The investigation highlights the importance of verifying information, especially when it comes to viral claims. With the rise of AI-generated content, it has become increasingly crucial to fact-check and validate information before accepting it as true. In this case, the viral photo was found to be misleading, and the claim was deemed false.
The Dubawa fact-checking team encourages the public to be cautious when sharing or believing viral claims. They also invite readers to submit claims for verification, providing a link or describing the claim, and their team will investigate. This incident serves as a reminder to prioritize fact-checking and verification in the digital age.
Key points
- The photo of Achraf Hakimi holding a Guinness World Records certificate is AI-generated.
- Hakimi's five-goal record against Le Havre is well-documented but not recognized by Guinness World Records.
- The viral post had 35,900 likes, 109 comments, and 349 reshares on Facebook.
