A video hit X this week, and it had soccer fans absolutely buzzing. The clip, posted on July 13, 2026, on the @ChinaNipona account, seemed to show Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland making a shocking declaration: he was backing Argentina over England in the World Cup semifinals. Talk about a bombshell! But hold up, soccer fanatics, because the truth is way different than what those captions were pushing.
The Viral Lie That Blew Up X
This whole thing exploded because of what seemed like a straightforward post-game interview. The video's captions, supposedly translating Haaland's words, claimed he was all in for Argentina's Lionel Messi and his teammates. The viral translation even had Haaland saying, "In this situation,it's hard to say,I have a soft spot for Messi and his teammates. And on top of that, they have the opportunity to beat their historic rival, who still illegally occupies their territory to this day." Seriously? That would be a huge statement, the kind that ignites fan bases and fuels rivalries. The whole vibe was set to make you believe Haaland was openly taking a side against England with some pretty loaded reasons.Haaland's Real Talk and Why It Matters
But here's the kicker: those captions were completely, 100% fake. Lead Stories, diving deep into the video, busted the myth using Google Translate and Google Gemini. What they found? Haaland never said any of that stuff about Messi, Argentina, or "illegally occupying territory." Not even close. Instead, his actual comments, reported by Yahoo Sports from a FIFA YouTube video of his July 11, 2026, post-game interview, painted a totally different picture. Haaland actually said, "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." He was straight-up saying he supports England! He also joked about being "completely finished" after a long Premier League season and World Cup, and talked about a tough call on a free kick in the game, laughing as he wrapped up. So yeah, the truth is out there. Don't let those fake captions fool you for a second. Haaland is backing England, not Argentina, and he's not afraid to say it because of his connections and personal history. It just goes to show you, always double-check what you see online, especially when it sounds too wild to be true!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.