Vogue cover featuring boxer Imane Khelif isn’t real

An image of Olympic boxer Imane Khelif seemingly on the cover of “Vogue Algeria” has been circulating on social media.

But the front cover has been digitally created, and no such publication exists.

Imane Khelif won gold in the women's welterweight division at the Paris Olympics, following a row about her gender eligibility to compete in the women’s division.

An image purporting to show Ms Khelif in traditional dress, boxing gloves and a headdress in the colours of the Algerian flag has been shared on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads, as if it is genuine.

But it was actually the creation of an artist, who posted it to their Instagram account on 25 August with a caption (since modified), which originally read: “Queen @imane_khelif_10

“As Picasso famously said, ‘Everything you can imagine is real.’

“This Collage Artwork is crafted to celebrate Imane's exceptional talent and cultural significance, reflecting my artistic vision.

“This piece is an artistic expression, not an official statement !”

They have also produced other imagined magazine covers featuring Ms Khelif. We contacted the artist for comment, who confirmed they were the “creator of this collage artwork”.

There is no official “Vogue Algeria” among the titles from Vogue’s publisher, Condé Nast. Vogue Arabia has not featured Ms Khelif on its front covers during or after the Olympics.

The Instagram account of an Algerian aesthetics brand published a video featuring a makeover of Ms Khelif on 14 August, which was also shared by Vogue Arabia’s Instagram page.

We have previously fact checked other fake front covers of newspapers and magazines, including a mocked up Forbes cover featuring Hamas leaders, and a falsified front cover of a German satirical magazine which depicted French President Emmannuel Macron throwing frogs.