A World Cup Star Can Be “Babygirl.” But For Now, He’s Mostly AI.
Norway's Erling Haaland looks amused during a news conference on July 9, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ahead of the team's quarterfinal World Cup soccer match against England.Marta Lavandier/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Haaland posts selfies with his “twin”—a low-res image of the animated character Shrek—on his Snapchat, and has a large designer bag collection—Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, etc. But a lot of the most viral content is AI-generated, gets endlessly reshared, and is often uncannily accurate—including one where Haaland appears to get scared by his own reflection while eating.
- ▪Norway's Erling Haaland looks amused during a news conference on July 9, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ahead of the team's quarterfinal World Cup soccer match against England.Marta Lavandier/AP Get your news from a source that’s not ow
- ▪Haaland posts selfies with his “twin”—a low-res image of the animated character Shrek—on his Snapchat, and has a large designer bag collection—Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, etc.
- ▪But a lot of the most viral content is AI-generated, gets endlessly reshared, and is often uncannily accurate—including one where Haaland appears to get scared by his own reflection while eating.
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Norway's Erling Haaland looks amused during a news conference on July 9, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ahead of the team's quarterfinal World Cup soccer match against England.Marta Lavandier/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. As someone who watches too much soccer and knows Erling Haaland as perhaps the world’s most formidable striker playing today, seeing friends and acquaintances show me viral videos of the player as an onion has been quite funny. @mw10.03 Every household has some Halaand onions. 🌿 My garlic has become a spirit. 🍿 Strange garlic heads. 🥕 Halaand. 🎶 Halaand Song. 🎵 Haaland. 🏆 World Cup Meme King Tournament.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Mother Jones.
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