Fireworks at 2026 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony were white, not blue
- Published on July 24, 2026 at 11:16
- 2 min read
- By Lucía DIAZ, AFP Spain
- Translation and adaptation Livia LIU, AFP Hong Kong
After Spain defeated Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, social media users fuelled speculation about alleged FIFA favouritism with a video that appeared to show blue fireworks set off at the end of the tournament, and that it was proof that the body had only prepared for the South Americans' victory. AFP photos and footage from media outlets all show that the fireworks were white, not blue.
"Spain's victory actually crashed FIFA's show," reads a Douyin video's caption in simplified Chinese shared on July 21.
It contains a screenshot of an X post published on July 20, showing blue fireworks at a stadium, while a Spanish flag was visible in the middle.
"If FIFA World Cup final was not rigged, why were the fireworks the colours of Argentina? Their plans were ruined by Spain," the post says, implying that the fireworks match the main colours of Argentina's flag (archived link).
The claim feeds into the conspiracy theory that FIFA has repeatedly displayed favouritism toward the Argentine team and skipper Lionel Messi (archived here and here). FIFA's refereeing chief previously responded that these were "unfounded allegations" (archived link).
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 on July 19, with Ferran Torres scoring the only goal of the game in extra time (archived link). After the match and the trophy presentation, a fireworks display began, launched from the top of the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Similar claims were shared across Weibo, Threads and Xiaohongshu in Chinese. It also spread in multiple languages on X, Facebook and Instagram.
However, the fireworks were white, as seen in an AFP photo of the trophy ceremony after the match.
A reverse image search with keyframes of the video also led to footage published by German broadcaster Magenta TV that shows the fireworks from a similar angle, displaying white smoke instead of blue (archived link).
Footage from Sports TV -- a YouTube channel managed by Pakistani digital content distributor Dot Republic Media -- captured from the outside of the stadium also shows that the fireworks were white (archived link).
During the final match, various colours of fireworks were displayed: the colours of the rainbow were shown in the halftime show, and before the game began, the flags of Spain and Argentina appeared with pyrotechnics, but on the field of play and not above the stadium.
AFP has reached out to FIFA but no immediate response is forthcoming.
AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the 2026 World Cup.
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