Some Romanians believed that Călin Georgescu’s son had won the Ballon d’Or. A satirical post sparked a wave of congratulations on TikTok

An image generated with the help of artificial intelligence, in which Călin Georgescu’s son is presented as the winner of the Ballon d’Or, was widely shared in Romania, and thousands of people believed the information was real.

The photograph was posted on TikTok with a message claiming that the politician’s son had received the prestigious trophy. Although the image’s author later clarified that it was a prank, numerous users continued to leave congratulatory comments.

The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony took place on Tuesday. The actual winner was English striker Harry Kane, who plays for Bayern Munich. Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal finished in the next two places.

The same user later posted another fake image, claiming that Călin Georgescu’s son had become world chess champion after defeating Garry Kasparov. The photograph contained several signs of manipulation, including a Romanian flag bearing the communist coat of arms and an invented name.

The confusion was also fueled by information that emerged at the beginning of October, claiming that the politician’s son was swimmer Paul Georgescu. The real athlete explained that he is the son of water polo coach Georgescu Eugen and has no connection to the politician’s family.

Călin Georgescu’s son, Pavel, is 16 years old and is registered with Euro Swimming Club Bucharest. He recently became a double national champion in Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run and competes in biathlon and triathlon.