The fact that Messi gave his shirt to two Israeli prisoners who were released from Gaza | sports

Various accounts on social media circulated a video clip showing two Israeli prisoners who were released after the ceasefire agreement that ended two years of genocide committed by Israel in Gaza, carrying two Argentine national team shirts that were allegedly given to them by the star Lionel Messi, which bore his signature.

The fact that Messi gave his shirt to two Israeli prisoners

It was stated in a post that was widely circulated on the Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X platforms, that “the Argentine football legend sent the two former hostages Bar Kuperstein and Segev Kalvon shirts signed with his name, each worth about 10 thousand dollars.”

Released hostages receive a beautiful surprise from Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian soccer legend sent former hostages Videod Bar Kuperstein and Segev Kaflon signed jerseys, each worth around $10,000.

A small gesture with a huge heart. pic.twitter.com/ajx0e4Yxpf

— Creative Community for Peace (@CCFPeace) October 16, 2025

This information quickly spread through Israeli media in various languages, including German, English, and French.

The Factual.AFP platform, affiliated with the French Press Agency, conducted a search for these clips via the Google Lens tool in order to verify their authenticity.

The platform found the same video clip, which was posted on Instagram on October 16, with a comment on it, saying, “Captivity survivors Bar Kuperstein and Gegev Kalvon achieved a big dream and were unable to hold back their tears. Shai Graucher, one of the people most interested in humanitarian work since October 7, is the one who made this possible.”

When searching for the name Shai Graucher on Google, results appeared from English-language news sites indicating that he is an Israeli businessman known for his charitable activity and numerous donations, according to the platform’s description.

At the same time, an article published on the Spanish-language website Israel Económico stated that Graucher was the one who gave the two hostages Argentine shirts signed by Messi.

Graucher mentioned in a previous interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv that these shirts are part of those signed by Messi after he won the 2022 World Cup with his country in Qatar, and that he obtained them through the Schottenstein family, owner of the American brand “American Eagle” for youth fashion, which specializes in ready-to-wear clothing, shoes and accessories.

The French platform stressed that Messi did not issue any public statements or positions regarding the release of the Israeli hostages.