World Cup 2026 final fuels Argentine fake news and Spanish Times Square ad

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, Argentina’s government‑linked digital network spread an AI‑generated audio clip that falsely portrayed opposition leader Máximo Kirchner criticizing goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. The fabricated interview was posted on X under the handle @TendenciaDeX, mimicking a La Cámpora figure, and amplified by several officials before being refuted by journalist Ernesto Tenembaum.

At the same time, Spanish retailer El Corte Inglés, in partnership with Dentsu agencies, launched a large‑scale advertising campaign in New York’s Times Square supporting the Spanish national team. The ads appeared on the “Top” and “The 1” screens covering more than 920 m², timed in three slots around the match and manually triggered after the final to reflect the result.