Widespread claims that 108 FIFA soccer players have died in a six-month period in 2021 are not based in fact – nor are suggestions that the alleged deaths are linked to COVID-19 vaccines.
...In the article itself, published on Nov. 13 (here), the writer claims 108 “professional athletes, coaches, college and youth athletes” have died since December 2020.
Reuters looked into the list of 108 names provided by Real Time News (bit.ly/32pqrt7 , page 6). It appears to be compiled using news reports of the deaths of 108 people, aged 12 – 64, worldwide.
Among the sports attributed to the names are American football, archery, athletics, badminton, ballet, baseball, basketball, body building, boxing, canoeing, cricket, cycling, field hockey, footvolley, handball, ice hockey, rugby (league and union), soccer, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and weightlifting.
A mixture of sporting levels is included which range from professional, semi-professional, amateur, retired, youth (under 15 years old), high school and college.
There are also four soccer coaches listed among the names, as well as one body building coach, one cricket teacher, one athletics trainer, a golf caddie, a marching band member and a doctor who died while out jogging.