{"slug": "a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai", "title": "A World Cup Star Can Be “Babygirl.” But For Now, He’s Mostly AI.", "summary": "Fans of Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland have embraced him as a 'babygirl' and 'princess' during the FIFA Men's World Cup, but much of the viral content featuring him is AI-generated, leading news organizations and AI experts to fact-check posts.", "body_md": "[Sign up for the free](https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/?mj_oac=Article_Top_No_Oligarchs)\n\n*Mother Jones Daily*.[As](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/sofi-strike-unite-here-world-cup-stadium-workers-fifa-labor-victory/) [someone](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/ice-dhs-world-cup-mullin-us-travel-warning-immigration-enforcement/) [who](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/trump-uscis-world-cup-visa-denial-ban-soccer-football-embassy/) [watches](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/07/world-cup-soccer-us-belgium-balogun-red-card-trump-fifa-infantino/) [too](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/07/world-cup-fifa-trump-stories-cape-verde-kansas-algeria-ivory-coast-diomande/) [much](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/trump-world-cup-fifa-putin-qatar-soccer-football-politics-sportswashing-boykoff/) [soccer](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/sofi-strike-unite-here-world-cup-stadium-workers-fifa-labor-victory/) and knows Erling Haaland as perhaps [the world’s most formidable striker playing today](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4463813/is-erling-haaland-best-striker-in-world-how-goals-stats-compare-with-cristiano-ronaldo-lionel-messi), seeing friends and acquaintances show me viral videos of the player [as an onion](https://www.tiktok.com/@mw10.03/video/7659643570999119125) has been quite funny.\n\nDespite my distaste for his club team (Manchester City is effectively owned by the United Arab Emirates, in large part to [launder its image amid human rights violations](https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018/nov/11/manchester-city-owners-accused-sportswashing-gulf-image)), I do find Haaland very fun, especially in a sports industry where unrefined celebrity is rare. I particularly like this one:\n\nOver the past month’s FIFA Men’s World Cup matches, fans have called the Norwegian striker various versions of “[babygirl](https://apnews.com/article/erling-haaland-world-cup-memes-internet-culture-2b0eb9a162a020e83de02323fe2d774e)” and “[princess](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ8caoriC49/?img_index=4).” The names largely come from the sharp contrast between [his gigantic frame](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ2Zc_biHZl/?img_index=9) and endearing personality both on-camera and online. Haaland [posts selfies with his “twin”](https://www.instagram.com/p/DanvfWmEa8e/)—a low-res image of the animated character Shrek—on [his Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/@erling.haaland), and has a [large designer bag collection](https://www.voguehk.com/en/article/fashion/erling-haaland-luxury-handbag-collection/?q=/en/article/fashion/erling-haaland-luxury-handbag-collection/&)—Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, etc. He is tailor-made for [internet fandom](https://www.tiktok.com/@norway.reality/video/7654516944955002134?_r=1&_t=ZN-97ihSxK90nW).\n\nBut a lot of the most viral content is [AI-generated](https://mashable.com/life/erling-haaland-eating-viral-video-not-real), gets endlessly reshared, and is often [uncannily accurate](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaU6k3ODJDo/?img_index=2)—including one where Haaland appears [to get scared by his own reflection while eating](https://x.com/Crazymoments01/status/2071476110395678917).\n\nWe’re now at the point where [news organizations](https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.B8W7764) and [AI experts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXlJWOizUxE) are fact-checking viral Haaland posts.\n\nIt’s unfortunate because I have enjoyed much of the internet’s newfound love affair with the player: comparisons to [Dragon Ball Z villain Majin Buu](https://www.instagram.com/p/DadNJcsgBtS/?utm_source=ig_embed), or [the Heated Rivalry-inspired, if imaginary, shipping](https://x.com/sauritgaurs/status/2073967267855974676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073967267855974676%7Ctwgr%5Eb3fd252d475d4a011b527d0718d550b891fc366e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fculture%2Fculture-news%2Ferling-haaland-jude-bellingham-world-cup-memes-1235592079%2F) of Haaland and former teammate Jude Bellingham that has spiraled into\n\n[yaoi lore](https://x.com/nyrania22/status/2075289287625523245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2075289287625523245%7Ctwgr%5Eb3fd252d475d4a011b527d0718d550b891fc366e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fculture%2Fculture-news%2Ferling-haaland-jude-bellingham-world-cup-memes-1235592079%2F)fan-fiction.\n\nThe guy is showing many people how the sport, and the culture inseparable from it, [can be fun](https://slate.com/culture/2026/07/norway-soccer-erling-haaland-united-states-world-cup.html?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us). He effortlessly creates content on his own and inspires fans to run with it. We’ve got the memes and the fan fiction, so why do we need AI?\n\nComputer, I beg you, please show me the *true* creativity and passion of the internet.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai", "canonical_source": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/07/erling-haaland-norway-worldcup-babygirl-ai/", "published_at": "2026-07-11 17:58:26+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-11 18:14:31.643950+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["generative-ai"], "entities": ["Erling Haaland", "Manchester City", "United Arab Emirates", "Snapchat", "Shrek"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai.jsonld"}}