Erling Haaland has been an impressive presence for Norway at the FIFA World Cup - and now it seems his off-pitch behaviour is fascinating fans on socials too. Or is it?
A clip of the Manchester City striker digging into a meal with chopsticks, then being surprised by his own reflection, has received thousands of hits after being shared on platforms including TikTok, Instagram and X.
However, the video is not thought to be real. It’s considered a deepfake by many people on socials, with the footballer's features replacing those of Chinese entertainer Jin Long. The popular comedian posted a clip of himself, in exactly the same location and position as Haaland, on 15 June on his TikTok account. In it, he also reacts to his reflection in the same way that Haaland does. It has been suggested by different websites and social posts that Jin Long has been replaced with Haaland using face-swap technology. Everything else about the original video is the same, from the bao buns on the plate, to the tiles on the wall around the mirror.
If it is a deepfake, it shows how easily AI-generated videos can trick people. The good news is there are clues that can help you work out whether a video is real or fake.
- Exaggerated facial movements. When Haaland is eating in the clip, his cheeks ‘puff out’ in a way that looks unrealistic, rather than a genuine video.
- Where has the video been posted? Even though it doesn’t look like an official or professionally-made video, it hasn’t been shared on Erling Haaland’s own TikTok account, which has 6.1m followers.
- Do a reverse image search. It’s possible to check where a TikTok video has been posted by taking a screengrab and then seeing where the clip appeared first. If it isn’t linked to any verified, reputable accounts then treat it with caution - it may not be genuine.
The India-based website Newschecker carried out its own examination of the Haaland clip using different AI-detection software. They concluded it was AI-generated or used face-swapping tech, although the results were only just over 50% confident that the clip was fake.
The verified media news account @hooknewsfeed on Instagram also stated that the video is a fake, although it has yet to be reported on any major news sites, or acknowledged by either Erling Haaland or Jin Long.
Why would someone create a deepfake of Erling Haaland?
If it is a fake, it’s not entirely clear why the video was created. The Singapore-based news website 8days suggested that it was down to Haaland’s popularity in China - he has appeared in an advert there, where he spoke in Mandarin, and has gone on to appear in different memes.
He is also incredibly popular on his own socials. Haaland regularly posts on Snapchat, playing around with filters and making fun of himself at the same time. Footage of him running during Norway's World Cup group game against Iraq has even become a meme, where Haaland is seen chasing after different things, including cartoon characters.
Deepfake videos, or AI-generated images, have become more sophisticated since they first appeared. A way of demonstrating this is by comparing AI videos of the actor Will Smith tucking in to a plate of spaghetti. These have been created on a regular basis as technology has improved, with each new version looking more convincing than the last.
It may be more difficult to tell deepfakes apart from the real deal as time goes on, but remember to stop and think before you share something that you’re not sure about. It may not always be a bit of fun about a football player being scared of their reflection - think critically and try not to share fake news online, you never know when it could go viral.
This article was published in July 2026
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