The controversy all traces back to Bournemouth’s dramatic 3-2 win over Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium on January 24, 2026. It was a wild, back-and-forth game.
Bournemouth stormed into a 2-0 lead thanks to Evanilson and Álex Jiménez, before Liverpool hit back through Virgil van Dijk just before the break.
Dominik Szoboszlai then produced a stunning late free-kick in the 80th minute to make it 2-2, giving the Reds hope of rescuing a point during a difficult run of form.
But deep into stoppage time, chaos struck. A long throw caused panic in the Liverpool box and substitute Amine Adli forced the ball home in the 95th minute, sealing a crushing defeat for Arne Slot’s side. The loss left Liverpool stuck in mid-table and ramped up the pressure on their manager.
After the final whistle, tempers flared. Van Dijk insisted he had been fouled in the build-up to the winner, with replays appearing to show contact that went unpunished by referee Michael Salisbury and VAR.
Fans and pundits also pointed to a possible push or handball involving Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi earlier in the move, sparking claims Liverpool had been “robbed” of at least a point.
Then the story took an even wilder turn online. Viral YouTube videos and social media posts — pulling in millions of views — claimed FIFA had stepped in, stripped Bournemouth of all three goals and handed Liverpool a default win or full points.
Headlines screamed “FIFA BOMBSHELL,” alleging referee apologies, VAR suspensions and even talk of a replay. Liverpool fans celebrated what they saw as justice, while Bournemouth supporters were furious at the idea.
But a closer look tells a very different story. There has been no confirmation from any credible source — not the Premier League, FIFA, BBC, Sky Sports, ESPN, The Guardian or Reuters. As of February 6, 2026, the official result still stands as Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool, with no changes to goals or points.
FIFA almost never interferes in domestic league results unless there’s proven corruption, and no governing body has issued any statement.
In reality, the saga appears to be driven by clickbait content and fan outrage rather than facts. Liverpool’s frustration is genuine — Slot called the defeat “painful,” Van Dijk voiced his complaints, and media reports described the winner as chaotic — but there has been no FIFA intervention. It’s a case of viral misinformation magnifying real refereeing grievances.
Online, though, the fire keeps burning. Liverpool fans demand accountability and post “robbed” memes, Bournemouth fans hit back in defence of Adli’s heroics, and neutrals see it as yet another flashpoint in football’s endless VAR debate. As one viral post put it: if results like this were ever overturned, the game would change forever.
