{"id":2574,"date":"2026-07-12T02:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T02:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmgiveawayfinder.com\/?p=2574"},"modified":"2026-07-12T02:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T02:05:13","slug":"a-world-cup-star-can-be-babygirl-but-for-now-hes-mostly-ai-mother-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmgiveawayfinder.com\/?p=2574","title":{"rendered":"A World Cup Star Can Be \u201cBabygirl.\u201d But For Now, He\u2019s Mostly AI. \u2013 Mother Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"


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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.<\/span>Marta Lavandier\/AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Get your news from a source that\u2019s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily<\/em>.<\/a><\/div>\n

As<\/a> someone<\/a> who<\/a><\/span> watches<\/a> too<\/a> much<\/a> soccer<\/a> and knows Erling Haaland as perhaps the world\u2019s most formidable striker playing today<\/a>, seeing friends and acquaintances show me viral videos of the player as an onion<\/a> has been quite funny.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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@mw10.03<\/a> <\/p>\n

Every household has some Halaand onions. \ud83c\udf3f My garlic has become a spirit. \ud83c\udf7f Strange garlic heads. \ud83e\udd55 Halaand. \ud83c\udfb6 Halaand Song. \ud83c\udfb5 Haaland. \ud83c\udfc6 World Cup Meme King Tournament.<\/p>\n

\u266c \u539f\u58f0 \u2013 mw10.03<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Despite 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<\/a>), I do find Haaland very fun, especially in a sports industry where unrefined celebrity is rare. I particularly like this one:<\/p>\n

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Over the past month\u2019s FIFA Men\u2019s World Cup matches, fans have called the Norwegian striker various versions of \u201cbabygirl<\/a>\u201d and \u201cprincess<\/a>.\u201d The names largely come from the sharp contrast between his gigantic frame<\/a> and endearing personality both on-camera and online. Haaland posts selfies with his \u201ctwin\u201d<\/a>\u2014a low-res image of the animated character Shrek\u2014on his Snapchat<\/a>, and has a large designer bag collection<\/a>\u2014Chanel, Herm\u00e8s, Louis Vuitton, etc. He is tailor-made for internet fandom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But a lot of the most viral content is AI-generated<\/a>, gets endlessly reshared, and is often uncannily accurate<\/a>\u2014including one where Haaland appears to get scared by his own reflection while eating<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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We\u2019re now at the point where news organizations<\/a> and AI experts<\/a> are fact-checking viral Haaland posts.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unfortunate because I have enjoyed much of the internet\u2019s newfound love affair with the player: comparisons to Dragon Ball Z villain Majin Buu<\/a>, or the Heated Rivalry<\/em>-inspired, if imaginary, shipping<\/a> of Haaland and former teammate Jude Bellingham that has spiraled into yaoi lore<\/a> fan-fiction.<\/p>\n

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The guy is showing many people how the sport, and the culture inseparable from it, can be fun<\/a>. He effortlessly creates content on his own and inspires fans to run with it. We\u2019ve got the memes and the fan fiction, so why do we need AI?<\/p>\n

Computer, I beg you, please show me the true<\/em> creativity and passion of the internet.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n