Image of old and fatter Wayne Rooney

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a reverse image search of Wayne Rooney’s picture to investigate it.

A photo of former English footballer Wayne Rooney began circulating on social media on October 1, 2024, showing him looking significantly older, sparking widespread comments about his health and appearance. However, the image is fake and doctored.

As a player, Rooney scored 253 goals for United, won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Old Trafford club. He also scored 53 goals for England’s national team. He was appointed manager of Plymouth Argyle in May 2024. He is 38 years old.

HOW IT STARTED

On October 1, an image of Rooney was shared on X with the caption: “Always remember that [Cristiano] Ronaldo is older than Wayne Rooney.”

The image showed him looking significantly aged and having gained a noticeable amount of weight. The post gained over 11,000 views.

The image was widely shared on social media platforms, including Facebook and X, and sparked confusion, concern and ridicule about Rooney’s health and appearance as can be seen here, here,here,here,here and here.

METHODOLGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to the keen public interest in the matter of Rooney’s health with people either confused and expressing concern or making fun of him.

A reverse image search conducted to verify the authenticity of the photo yielded the original photograph published in a Daily Mail article dated October 1, titled: “Wayne Rooney spotted for the first time since fans expressed concern for Manchester United legend’s health during Old Trafford appearance”.

According to the news report, the original image was from his appearance at a match between Manchester United and Tottenham at Old Trafford on September 29, 2024. While looking much healthier and younger than the viral doctored image, the image said that his slumping posture had still elicited concern from fans.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a highly viral image shows a visibly older and fatter Wayne Rooney is false.

The photo is doctored to make him look more aged and heavier whereas the actual image is more in line with how he looks in recent times.

Evidence and References

October 1, 2024, Daily Mail article:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13912839/Wayne-Rooney-Manchester-United-legend-health-Old-Trafford.html