Jewish Messi: A drawing of recently retired Argentine national team star Lionel Messi has sparked widespread controversy in the United States in recent days.
It all began three months ago, when Maysa Jarara, a teacher at a public school in Brooklyn, New York, posted a caricature of the Argentine soccer star on social media.
In the drawing posted by the Muslim mathematics teacher, Messi was depicted in a manner strikingly similar to antisemitic caricatures from the Nazi propaganda era, with an exaggerated nose, wearing a kippah, and rubbing his hands together.
The exaggerated nose is one of the features commonly associated with Nazi caricatures demonizing Jews, while the gesture of rubbing his hands together also echoes the Nazi portrayal of Jews as greedy and cunning.
It took some time for the drawing and the teacher's post to attract media attention. However, now that the story has made headlines, it has sparked widespread outrage in the United States, with many calling for the teacher's dismissal.
Additional antisemitic content and drawings attacking Israel and Jews were reportedly found on her social media account.
After retiring from Argentina's national team approximately two weeks ago, Messi now plays exclusively in Major League Soccer (MLS), where he stars for the American club Inter Miami.