Fake Zlatan quotes and false rumours flood the 2026 World Cup
Fabricated quotes and misinformation are spreading rapidly at the World Cup – and Swedish football is caught in the crossfire.
SFN Editor ·
The 2026 FIFA World Cup – the largest in football history with 48 teams and 104 matches – has become a breeding ground for fake quotes and misinformation, with Sweden firmly in the mix. Fabricated statements attributed to Zlatan Ibrahimović, claiming he criticised Sweden's performance against the Netherlands, spread widely on social media before being debunked.
"Large events are an environment that is favourable for writing this type of content," – Marie Grusell, media researcher at the University of Gothenburg, speaking to Expressen.
The problem extends beyond Sweden. Major international outlets including ESPN have published fabricated quotes during the tournament. Expressen itself has acknowledged printing statements that later turned out to be invented. Grusell points to the relentless pace of modern news cycles as the core issue – verification takes time, and that time simply isn't available when everyone is racing to be first.
Former Sweden international John Guidetti, now working as a pundit for TV4, says fake stories about footballers are nothing new. After returning to Sweden to join AIK, he deactivated his account on X to escape the noise. He believes Swedish Premier League stars have had to develop the same coping mechanism. "You can't listen to everything, it becomes unsustainable," he said.
Grusell warns that the consequences go beyond inconvenience. With AI tools now capable of manipulating images, audio, and text with frightening ease, reputations can be destroyed in minutes. "With today's knowledge of AI, you can make anyone say anything. It goes incredibly fast," she told Expressen.
As the World Cup continues, the researcher's message is stark: the faster the information flow, the harder it becomes to separate fact from fiction – and Swedish football's biggest names are increasingly exposed.