Misquoted clip claims footballer advocated against migration at World Cup

"Swedish Soccer player Lucas Bergvall responds to going viral," says a June 22 post from internet personality Matt Wallace, whom AFP has repeatedly fact-checked for promoting disinformation and conspiracy theories.

The post quotes Bergvall as saying: "I appreciate all the love and support. To every woman who has a crush on me, please stop voting for mass migration, or my people will not exist anymore."

Similar claims appeared on Instagram and Facebook.

Image

Screenshot of an X post captured June 24, 2026

Image

Screenshot of an Instagram post captured June 24, 2026

Bergvall, a 20 year-old midfielder on the Swedish men's national team who plays club football for Tottenham Hotspur, has drawn fanfare during the 2026 World Cup for his blond hair and attractive features, with onlookers calling him "the World Cup's newest crush."

The Swedes started their tournament June 14 with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia, before losing to the Netherlands by the same margin.

But the quote attributed to Bergvall is a false translation of unrelated remarks from months earlier.

A keyword search revealed that the video comes from the Nordic streaming service Viaplay Sports' interview with Bergvall on March 29, as Sweden prepared to face Poland in a World Cup qualifying playoff final match (archived here). The team would go on to beat Poland 3-2, securing their spot in the World Cup.

In the footage, Bergvall discussed his childhood dream of playing in a World Cup and the match against Poland, but did not mention immigration or politics.

"I didn't get to come on in the last match," Bergvall said in Swedish, according to a translation of his remarks. "And then against Poland it's up to the coach who plays. But I'm ready, whether I get to come on and start or not at all. It feels good."

AFP found no reliable reporting attributing the false quote about immigration to Bergvall.

The miscaptioned posts echo the language of the far-right "great replacement theory," which alleges a conspiracy to replace white populations with minority races and immigrants. The narrative has been embraced by violent extremists, including the perpetrator of a 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.

Volker Türk, the United Nations human rights chief, previously called the belief "delusional and deeply racist" and said it was inciting violence.

Following a large influx of asylum seekers in Sweden in 2015, successive left- and right-wing governments have tightened asylum rules. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's coalition government, propped up by the far right, came to power in 2022 vowing to crack down on immigration.

Read more AFP's reporting on misinformation here.