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Video of Erling Haaland startling himself is altered content

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 6, 2026, 6:33 AM

Last updated Jul 6, 2026

Video of Erling Haaland startling himself is altered content

Summary

A doctored video of Erling Haaland appearing startled by his reflection became widely viewed on Chinese social media during the 2026 World Cup. Originally part of a humorous skit by a Chinese content creator, the altered video gained over two million views with a simplified Chinese hashtag. Visual inconsistencies in the clip suggest it was manipulated using AI. Haaland is currently leading Norway into the World Cup quarter-finals, further boosting his popularity, especially in China, where he recently gained millions of followers on Douyin.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•The video falsely depicts Haaland startled by his own reflection.
•Haaland is guiding Norway in the 2026 World Cup.
•The altered video has been viewed millions of times on Chinese platforms.
•The original skit dates back to June 15, created by a Chinese user.
•Visual errors confirm the video was digitally manipulated.

Latest Updates

6:33 AMYahoo Sports — Video of Norway's Erling Haaland startling himself is digitally altered

What they're saying

"
As Norway's totemic striker Erling Haaland guided his country into the latter stages of the 2026 World Cup, a doctored video appearing to show him being startled by his own reflection was viewed millions of times on Chinese social media. AFP found the clip -- which contains visual inconsistencies typical of synthetic content -- had been altered from a skit posted by a Chinese content creator.
— Yahoo Sports

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