Claim: Social media users have shared a viral photo of Kylian Mbappe and Nadia Buhari, depicting that the two took a picture together.
Verdict: False. The viral photo is doctored. The original picture was first published on Kylian Mbappe’s Instagram account. It did not include Nadia Buhari.
Full Text
Social media has been buzzing with reactions after a viral photo surfaced featuring Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé. The image, widely circulated on platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), claims the two spent time together in New York.
Accounts on X, such as the_marcoli_boy and TwoTerty_, have shared the photo, sparking significant engagement. Users and pages like Wahid Tunepost, Attractive Mustapha, and Nuse Li have also posted the image on Facebook. For example, Wahid Tunepost captioned,
“Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari is having fun with Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé in New York.”
The viral post has amassed over a million views across various accounts. Given the widespread attention, DUBAWA decided to investigate its authenticity.
Verification
We conducted a Yandex Image search to trace the photo’s origin. The investigation revealed that the image was originally sourced from Kylian Mbappé’s Instagram account, posted on Oct. 9, 2023. We discovered that the exact posture in the original photo was also the same picture in the viral photo. The image was taken at Clairefontaine – Centre National Du Football, in France. This organisation specialises in training French football players; thus, the claim that the photo was taken in New York is false.
The original photo’s background differs significantly from the viral image. It has a green grass background, whereas the viral version features a tarred road. Additionally, a yellow object appears in the viral image, which is absent from the original. Similar photos with varying poses were also uncovered, but none included Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari.
Further analysis showed that the attached image of Mbappé had been cropped from its original version.
DUBAWA used Fotoforensics to examine whether the image had been manipulated.
Fotoforensics analysis further revealed signs of manipulation, with the JPEG% analysis showing repetitive numerical patterns, a clear red flag that the image was likely edited multiple times.
Upon closer inspection, the image displays significant areas of white, indicating extensive edits. These edits include alterations to Kylian Mbappé, Nadia Buari, the dogs, and the watermark beneath the image. The alterations confirm that the photo does not authentically represent the two individuals together.
Conclusion
DUBAWA’s investigation confirms that the viral photo of Kylian Mbappé and Nadia Buari is not authentic. The original image, sourced from Mbappé’s Instagram account, was significantly altered. Key differences include changes to the background, adding a yellow object, and including Nadia Buari; all these were absent in the original photo.
Further analysis with Fotoforensics revealed multiple signs of manipulation, including repetitive numerical patterns in the JPEG% and extensive white areas indicative of heavy editing. These findings unequivocally demonstrate that the image has been doctored.