Erling Haaland is somehow a Love and Deepspace star now

Erling Haaland has become one of the 2026 World Cup’s biggest characters in China, and not just because he keeps scoring.

The Norwegian striker has spent the past few weeks dominating the field, terrifying defenders, and helping push Norway deep into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But online, especially on Chinese social media, he has become many other things: a “Nordic Cyborg,” Majin Buu, a goofy giant, a Viking warrior, and, somehow, the romantic lead on Love and Deepspace.

The fixation has been building for weeks. In early June, Haaland became a global brand ambassador for Walovi, the international arm of Wang Lao Ji, a popular Chinese herbal drink brand. The campaign featured Haaland speaking Mandarin in scenes built around football, summer heat, and a jingle that plays on the sound of his name.

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Chinese fans quickly ran with it.

Since joining Weibo, China’s major microblogging platform, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, a month ago, Haaland has amassed over 1 million followers on Weibo and more than 5 million on Douyin. Hashtags related to the striker have also generated hundreds of millions of views on Weibo, where fans have been clipping his ads, remixing his image, and turning him into a running joke.

A lot of the appeal comes from how different Haaland is on the field versus online. On the field, he’s a 6-foot-5 Manchester City forward with a mechanical scoring record. Online, Chinese fans have nicknamed these two personalities: “Nordic Cyborg” on the pitch, and “Habao” or “Baby Ha” off of it.

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One of the most unexpected versions of Halaand has been...a digital love interest? The popular Chinese sci-fi romance mobile game Love and Deepspace lets players form relationships with fictional male characters, and fan-made Haaland posts have styled him like a collectible love interest and comparing him to the characters players already know.

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The romance-game jokes are only one corner of the larger Haaland meme boom in China. Fans have also turned him into a Viking, an anime hero, and the subject of song edits built around his name. One popular fan song, “Haaland (Ha Ha Ha),” is set to the tune of “Moskau,” the 1979 track by German Eurodisco group Dschinghis Khan.

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These aren't the only versions of Haaland circulating online.

Last week, a video circulated on X appearing to show Haaland sitting in a restaurant, eating, then flinching at his own reflection. One post sharing the clip racked up more than 31 million views in a matter of days. The video was debunked — fact checkers traced the original footage to a slapstick skit by Chinese comedian Jin Long, posted to TikTok in mid-June, with Haaland’s face later swapped in using AI.

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But, Haaland himself makes these digital depictions easier to believe. His own social media presence is famously unpolished, especially on Snapchat, where he posts casual selfies, filters, jokes, Q&As, and strange little updates that give fans more material to work with.

He also engages in many of the memes, leaving comments on edits and AI footage.

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He is not the only footballer getting AI treatment. Videos have reimagined Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and David Beckham as K-pop idols, complete with idol styling and choreography.

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There is plenty more content that has kept the internet entertained during the past few weeks of back-to-back World Cup programming, some with full scripts.

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At this point, the World Cup has a knockout bracket and a fan-edit bracket. Haaland seems to be doing pretty well in both.