View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

News websites wrongly claim Christian footballer Lukaku couldn’t collect alcoholic award ‘because of Muslim faith’

By Rose James

Several news websites have wrongly claimed that footballer Romelu Lukaku is a “devout Muslim” who could not collect an alcoholic man of the match award because of his faith.

In fact the Manchester United striker is a practising Christian who is known to make the sign of the cross during matches – and reads the Bible “three times a day”, according to the Christian Today website.

The Daily Mail, the Sun and the Mirror all published articles wrongly stating the footballer could not collect an award from sponsors Heineken at a match last week because of his “Muslim faith”.

“Lukaku, a devout Muslim, could not pose with the alcoholic prize from Heineken,” said Mail Online, which published the claim on Tuesday.

In an article published the same day, Mirror Online said Lukaku was “ruled out of receiving the man of the match award after his goal helped win the Manchester derby in Houston – because of his Muslim faith.”

Both articles remain live and unamended.

In articles published the following day, which have now been taken down, the Sun and the Express went on to repeat the mistake.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Miqdaad Versi, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, told Press Gazette he found these inaccuracies “seriously disappointing”.

“This latest inaccuracy on an issue related to Muslims appears to be due to woefully poor journalism lacking even basic due diligence by one paper, with the story then replicated without fact-checking on other media platforms.

“Yet, we also need to ask why this was considered a story in the first place. Is it because it is another example to show a Muslim apart from the rest of society?”

This latest error comes after Irish Newspaper The Herald published an article mistakenly using a picture of grime artist Stormzy alongside a story about Lukaku.

Picture: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network