Fake Haaland Clip Tops 31 Million Views as World Cup Memes Recast Athlete Fandom
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 7
Fake Haaland Clip Tops 31 Million Views as World Cup Memes Recast Athlete Fandom
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jul 7
Summary
More than 31 million views piled onto an X post sharing a fake video of Erling Haaland, with fact-checkers tracing the clip to a mid-June TikTok skit by Chinese comedian Jin Long.
The video kept spreading after corrections because it fit Haaland’s already meme-heavy online persona, built through comedic posts, a 3.3 million-follower Snapchat account, and fast-growing Douyin and Weibo followings in China.
China has become a key engine of that image: Haaland fronts a herbal drink ad, attempts Mandarin, and is nicknamed “Habao,” feeding a wider stream of AI edits and fan-made lore around him.
The episode points to a broader shift in sports fandom, where Gen Z connects more with individual athletes than teams and athlete social content is a leading driver of engagement, according to WSC Sports and Oliver Wyman.
Kylian Mbappé’s revived “Dictator Mbappé” AI memes show the pattern extending beyond Haaland, with fans increasingly treating footballers as open-ended internet characters rather than tightly controlled public figures.
With fans creating their own AI-driven narratives, does the truth about our sports heroes still matter?
As AI deepfakes of stars go viral, who really owns an athlete's image and likeness anymore?
Erling Haaland’s Startled Reflection: The World Cup 2026 Deepfake That Fooled Millions
Overview
During the FIFA World Cup 2026, a video showing Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland appearing startled by his own reflection went viral and quickly became a global meme. Many people believed the clip was real, sparking widespread discussion online. However, fact-checkers later revealed that the video was actually an AI-generated deepfake, with Haaland's face digitally superimposed onto footage of Chinese comedian Jin Long. This incident highlights how advanced AI technology can create convincing fake content that spreads rapidly, making it harder for viewers to tell what is real and what is not.