Haaland Defeats Fake Claim, Backs England In 2026 World Cup

The Fake Video That Sparked the Rumor

In July 2026 a clip posted on the X account @ChinaNipona (archived here) showed captions in Spanish claiming Haaland would side with Argentina, Lionel Messi and his teammates against England in the World Cup semifinals. The fabricated subtitles read, “In this situation—it’s hard to say—I have a soft spot for Messi and his teammates… they have the opportunity to beat their historic rival, who still illegally occupies their territory to this day.” A screenshot of the post was widely shared.

The image was captured on July 14, 2026, and later uploaded to Google Gemini for translation. The machine translation confirmed the captions were manufactured and bore no resemblance to Haaland’s actual remarks.

What Haaland Really Said – England Support Confirmed

During a post‑game interview on July 11, 2026, Haaland was asked about his plans after a grueling Premier League season and the World Cup. The real transcript shows him discussing his recovery and joking about free kicks, not mentioning any national team allegiance.

A Yahoo Sports report quoted Haaland: “Yes, why not? I think I have some of my City teammates in England, and in France, and Spain, so of course I want England to do well. I’ve been supporting… I think I got an England national team jersey before I got a Norway jersey when I was little, so of course I want England to do well because it’s a beautiful country, and their jersey is beautiful too.”

Credible outlets corroborated the stance, making clear the rumor was false.

Why the Misinformation Spread and How It Was Debunked

The bogus captions were presented as subtitles on the X video, exploiting a misunderstanding of non‑English commentary. Fact‑checkers used Google Translate on the uploaded clip and found no match with Haaland’s interview.

Haaland’s own YouTube statement, released by FIFA, also affirmed his backing of England, reinforcing the official position.

Key Takeaways

• The video claiming Haaland would support Argentina was a deep‑fake caption.
• Haaland’s actual July 11 interview shows clear support for England in the 2026 World Cup.
• Multiple reputable sources have reported his endorsement of the English squad.
• This false narrative has been quickly dismantled by fact‑checkers and official statements, reaffirming Haaland’s support for England in the 2026 World Cup.

This false narrative has been quickly dismantled by fact‑checkers and official statements, reaffirming Haaland’s support for England in the 2026 World Cup.