AI’s Biggest World Cup Star? It’s a Fake Erling Haaland
Online Meme Culture Overshadows Real-World Performance
Poinews.com – At the 2026 World Cup, Erling Haaland has focused on his primary role as a goal-scorer while also engaging in content creation. His unrefined posts on Snapchat, which boasts over 3.3 million followers, have positioned him as a footballer ripe for internet humor. Memes like his exaggerated nostril selfies, comparisons to Shrek, and playful Q&As have become staples of online discourse, blending his on-field exploits with off-field antics.
Viral Video Unraveled by Fact-Checkers
A widely shared video on X last week depicted Haaland mid-mouthful in a restaurant, reacting comically to his own reflection. However, community notes swiftly flagged the clip as inauthentic, revealing it to be an AI-generated skit by Chinese creators Jin Long and Qiu Qiu. The footage, originally posted to TikTok on 15 June, had already amassed over 31 million views within days. Despite the correction, the video continued to trend, with the same account posting additional AI-altered content days later.
“The correction did not slow the clip down.” — Community notes
Viking Imagery Takes Center Stage
While some fan edits are lighthearted, others have amplified Haaland’s Viking persona. A popular theme shows him as a fur-clad warrior brandishing double-headed axes and steering a longship through treacherous waters. This image was partly inspired by a 2023 photo by David Yarrow, capturing Haaland in Viking attire waist-deep in an Oslo fjord. In preparation for the 2026 World Cup, the Norwegian Football Federation reteamed with Yarrow to photograph the entire squad, resulting in the iconic image titled “The Vikings are coming.”
China’s Unique Take on the Norwegian Star
In China, Haaland has become a cultural phenomenon, with fans on Weibo and Douyin — the nation’s social media platforms — creating a dual identity for him. On the pitch, he is celebrated as the “Nordic Cyborg” or “Robot Striker,” a near-inhuman goal machine. Off it, he is dubbed “Habao,” or “Ha Baby,” a goofy, approachable giant whose exaggerated expressions and playful behavior have cemented his place in Chinese meme culture.
One of the most shared creations is a parody song titled “Haaland (Ha Ha Ha),” set to the melody of Moskau, a 1979 Eurodisco track by Dschinghis Khan. The tune, which predates Haaland’s birth by over two decades, has been reimagined with his name, generating more than 490 million views on Weibo alone. This blend of humor and admiration highlights how AI-generated content has reshaped global perceptions of the Norwegian striker, blurring the line between reality and digital fiction.
