Overview
- Ruud Gullit publicly said the quotes were not his and asked that the posts be removed, disavowing the open letter that had been attributed to him on social media.
- China’s official news agency Xinhua published the piece that claimed Gullit called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, and that story was quickly republished by other outlets and shared widely online.
- Independent fact-checkers flagged the attribution as false after verifying Gullit’s denial and documenting the Xinhua text that carried fabricated quotes about Infantino’s leadership.
- Some publishers continued to carry the Xinhua version without a clear correction, which extended the reach of the false claim and illustrated how rapid republication can outpace verification.
- The false attribution played into real concerns about US visa and travel problems affecting referees, players, and staff and adds to wider reputational pressure on FIFA from recent legal filings and travel disputes.