With the FIFA World Cup less than a week old, there has already been an array of viral moments from football’s flagship competition, including the apparent attendance of renowned adult stars, Mia Khalifa and Lana Rhoades, at the USA’s opener against Paraguay.

The images appeared to show the former adult star cheering on the United States alongside fellow ex-adult performer Rhoades at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Social media posts suggested the pair had been spotted by broadcast cameras sitting in VIP-style seats, with some fans joking that their presence was the reason the USA were performing so well in their thumping 4-1 victory against a poor Paraguay.

Khalifa responds to claims

However, Khalifa has now apparently dismissed the claims entirely.

It seems that the viral images were created using AI. The 33-year-old addressed the situation directly by posting Instagram Stories showing what she was actually doing that evening. One post showed her relaxing at home, watching NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert featuring The Paradox.

Mia Khalifa's Instagram Story showed what she was actually doing that evening. Credit: Instagram / @miakhalifa

She also reportedly made it clear in a comment on a viral post, writing: “It’s AI, I wouldn’t have a team USA hat.”

Earlier that same day, she posted on X joking about switching allegiances between countries, saying: “Today I am Bosnian, later this evening I am Paraguayan. Tomorrow at 6pm I am Moroccan, and at 9pm I am Haitian.”

Meanwhile, Lana Rhoades took a different approach and appeared to lean into the rumors, reportedly posting joking images with captions like: “Out to support my country in the World Cup.”

Social media asks AI

Some users even turned to X’s AI chatbot Grok to fact-check the viral images, which clarified: “No, this picture isn't real. Viral posts claim Lana Rhoades (left) and Mia Khalifa (right) attended the USA vs Paraguay World Cup match, but there's zero credible evidence. No posts from them, no official confirmation, and reports call it unverified rumor/meme/AI buzz. Just sharp-looking fans or edits sparking speculation. USA won 4-1 though.”

Despite the clarification, many still believed the images were real, with one viral comment joking: “Ohh now I know why USA was winning.”

Featured Image. Credit: X

A former Miss Croatia has blasted "rude" security staff at the World Cup, as they seek to get her to comply with Qatar's modesty rules.

Ivana Knoll, 26 - who has amassed 1.8 million Instagram followers during the soccer tournament -  is now a well-known figure during Croatia's World Cup matches, largely due to her outfits.

Per the Independent, the model previously claimed that even with Qatar's strict modesty rules that women are expected to comply with, authorities had given her no trouble despite her revealing clothing.

Ivana has attracted a lot of attention at this World Cup, with fans often asking for selfies - something she is more than happy to oblige. Other attention comes in the form of several men taking photos of the model as she walks down the stairs in the stadium.

However, Qatari businessman Mohammed Hassan Al-Jefairi was quick to explain that not everything was as it seemed. Replying to an image on Twitter, he said: "Just for your info they take a photo not because they like her but because they don't like the way she is miss dressed on regards to our culture."

Ivana has revealed that the authorities' tolerance to her outfits appeared to change last night, as Croatia took on Brazil in a quarter-final clash.

Speaking to the German outlet BILD, she revealed that security put a stop to her usual selfie-taking with fans. She said: "They don't allow the fans to take photos with me or pose for photos down here on the railing. I then asked them why they were so rude."

The security stopping the model from taking selfies wasn't the only shock of the evening, as Croatia went on to knock Brazil out of the tournament, despite the South American team being tipped to take the trophy home.

Neymar opened the scoring for Brazil in the 106th minute after the game ended as a goalless draw in the regulation 90 minutes. Croatia responded with a goal of their own in the 117th minute by Petković, and the game went to penalties.

Croatia was ruthless from the spot, netting all four of their attempts, while Brazil was left in misery after Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their penalties for the Seleção Canarinho.

Ivana will be thrilled at the result, and will undoubtedly be in attendance at Croatia's semi-final match against Argentina on December 13.

Featured image credit: ABACAPRESS / Alamy

A former Miss Croatia winner has shared a glance into her life as the World Cup's most well-known fan.

At the beginning of the soccer tournament, 30-year-old Ivana Knoll took her occupation as a model seriously by donning daring outfits during her native country's triumphant wins in Qatar.

Throughout the competition, Knoll made headlines on social media and has skyrocketed from having 780,000 followers on Instagram to boasting over 2.4 million followers within two weeks.

On Sunday (December 11), the model took to the popular social media platform to share a video of herself battling through an enormous crowd while out and about in Doha.

"My usual day in Doha looks like this. Guys, you are the best!" she wrote in the caption. In the footage, Knoll is seen taking pictures with fellow football fans in her latex red and white outfit.

The ex-Miss Croatia winner was also spotted surrounded by media, also eager to speak with her about her experience in the host nation - which is known for its rules on dressing modestly.

The mobbing by a crowd comes after Knoll revealed that during Croatia's last game - when they beat Brazil in a penalty shootout - she was approached by a security guard about her choice of attire.

The influencer spoke with the German outlet Bild about the situation and claimed that the staff prevented her from taking photos with fans.

"They don't allow the fans to take photos with me or pose for photos down here on the railing. I then asked them why they were so rude," Knoll said.

In addition to this, the model had previously claimed that - even with the host nation's strict modesty rules - authorities had given her no trouble despite her skimpy clothing, per the Independent.

She also told the publication that before her encounter with security during Friday's game, her experience in the country was "great," adding: "No one has ever told me to cover up. Everyone wants photos with me, even the locals."

"Only on Twitter was there a negative reaction from a Qatari. But he probably just wanted attention," she added, referring to Mohammed Hassan Al-Jefairi, a Qatari businessman who wrote online that people only take pictures of her to "report it".

On December 6, Knoll maintained her trademark clothing style during an interview with Piers Morgan on his show: Piers Morgan Uncensored.

Appearing on the show in a tight-fitting bra in her country's colors, the beauty was asked by the 57-year-old host if she had experienced any "resistance" to her looks.

"No, to be honest. I've been very surprised, very happy, they [the Qataris] accept my clothing," she replied, adding: "Women, men, kids take pictures with me."

Morgan then told her that the country has a more "conservative" reputation, but Knoll reiterated that she hasn't had "any bad reactions" to her looks.

"When I came here, I asked the locals what the rules were and they said I could wear what I normally wear as they are making special rules for the World Cup. This is why I dress this way," she added.

Despite the online criticism, Knoll recently made a bold promise to fans that she will strip if her nation advances to the final and wins the World Cup, per Daily Star.

According to the outlet, when the model was questioned about how she would celebrate a historic victory by German media, she mischievously said: "If that happens, the flag falls…"

Well, she will most certainly be in attendance at the country's semi-final match against Argentina on December 13.

Featured image credit: PA Images / Alamy

Mia Khalifa has firmly denied rumors linking her to former Manchester City star Julian Alvarez, following widespread speculation on social media.

Reports claimed that the 32-year-old former adult film star was romantically involved with the 24-year-old Argentine forward, who is currently playing for Atletico Madrid, despite Alvarez being in a long-term relationship with Maria Emilia Ferrero, his childhood sweetheart and a social media influencer.

The rumors gained traction across Italy and Argentina, but Khalifa swiftly addressed the claims.

In a direct response on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote: “To clear things up: I’m not dating anybody, and if I was, it certainly wouldn’t be someone not old enough to remember where they were on 9/11.”

Mia Khalifa has denied involvement with Julian Alvarez. Credit: Santiago Felipe / Getty

Though Khalifa has been married twice before, first to her high school boyfriend in 2011 and later to Swedish chef Robert Sandberg in 2019 (before they separated in 2020), she remains single and unapologetic about her past relationships.

On TikTok, she opened up about her two marriages, stating: “Married at 18, divorced at 21. Second marriage: married at 25, divorced at 28. Third engagement: engaged at 29, ended it at 30, but I kept the ring.”

She called herself "Tom Brady at this game" of marriage and divorce statistics, and encouraged women to leave the marriage if they feel like it's just not working for them anymore.

"We should not be afraid to leave these men. We are not stuck with these people," she continued. "Marriage is not a sanctimonious thing. It is paperwork. It's a commitment you make to someone.

"But if you feel like you're not getting anything from that commitment and you're trying, you gotta go. You gotta go!" she said. "You have to go."

She says it might be annoying to do the paperwork and make the appointments, but you can't let yourself "be stuck with someone."

Mia Khalifa’s love for football and surprising player picks

Despite not being romantically involved with any footballers, Khalifa has made no secret of her deep passion for the sport.

Known for her support of West Ham United, a love she developed after watching the 2005 film Green Street, Khalifa is also a fan of several other sports, including the NBA and hockey.

Social media rumours had linked Mia with Alvarez. Credit: Diego Souto/Getty

In a 2019 interview with AFTV, the former adult star revealed her top three favorite footballers, which included two Real Madrid legends, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.

She also expressed particular admiration for Zidane’s infamous World Cup final head-butt against Marco Materazzi in 2006, calling it “the most exciting thing I’ve seen happen in a football match,” per The Sun.

“I love violence, and I hate that there is so much flopping in football,” Khalifa confessed, adding, “Yes! That [the headbutt] was the greatest moment of all time.”

Khalifa’s third favorite footballer is Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy. She compared Mooy to NBA star Kawhi Leonard, saying: “He doesn’t look like him, but he acts like him. He’s kind of camera shy, a little goofy, but you never see it. He reminds me of him. Kawhi Leonard is a good guy.”

Featured image credit: Edward Berthelot / Getty

Mia Khalifa was left in tears after a fan's girlfriend made a seemingly vile joke about her adult film career.

Speaking during an interview with YouTube star Anthony Padilla back in 2021, the 30-year-old former adult star opened up about an incident that left her in tears while she was out having dinner with her friends.

Khalifa, whose real name is Sarah Joe Chamoun, initially rose to fame after embarking on what she described to be an "abusive" career in the world of adult entertainment.

Despite only filming a handful of videos, one of the most controversial being a video in which she performed sexual acts while posing as a Muslim wearing a hijab, the actress immediately rose to fame - at one point she even became one of the most searched adult stars in the world.

Mia Khalifa attends the Acne Studios Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in 2023. Credit: Pierre Mouton/Getty

However, after leaving the industry following a short stint, Khalifa became vocal about the abuse she faced at the hands of those who "preyed" on her while she was "vulnerable."

Even after seemingly leaving the past behind, the social media personality opened up about how her former career still haunts her to this day.

"I was at a business meeting in London and I was there with a company that I had just signed with," Khalifa told Padilla during their time together. "It was the two men who were the heads of the company and my manager at the time. We were just sitting down celebrating having just done a great press tour for the project we were working on, and I get come up to [sic] by this guy and his girlfriend."

The man asked Khalifa for a photo, but she refused because she was eating lunch at the time in a professional setting.

While she did admit that she could have handled it better, she couldn't have prepared herself for what was going to come next.

After referring to the man as "rude", his girlfriend decided to throw a cheap and absolutely vile joke at her expense, saying: "I told you that wasn't her. There's not enough c*m on her face. Let's go, babe."

"I didn't really know how to handle it, especially because it came from a woman and especially because I was there for business," she said, telling the interviewer that she went to the bathroom to cry about the interaction.

Luckily the people she was doing business with were completely understanding of the situation and attempted to comfort Khalifa - and it didn't impact their working relationship.

The star also recently appeared on Steven Bartlett's Diary Of A CEO podcast where she talked in more detail about how she originally got into adult film.

"I got talked into eloping to Las Vegas four days after my 18th birthday," she said. "I didn't have a sense of self so I attached myself to someone who was more than happy to abuse that and someone who could see that and see someone easily manipulatable... but at the same time eager to please. It was just the perfect storm."

Mia Khalifa arrives at the 2022 Latin American Music Awards in 2022. Credit: Greg Doherty/Getty

However, things seem to take an even darker turn when her husband, who was in the US Army at the time, presented the adult entertainment industry to her.

"[He] put that whole [adult film] world in front of me and encouraged it," she said before also adding that she prefers not to refer to it as a "relationship."

"I even feel weird calling it a relationship, because the dynamic was not one of a relationship – it was more one of someone who saw a toy to play with," she said.

Featured Image Credit: Pierre Suu/Getty