Becks appeal! Gareth Bale’s China Cup arrival goes viral on Chinese social media thanks to internet pranksters
Wales boss says Beckham and his team’s star player are treated like Gods by local fans – but one fan doesn’t mind having a bit of fun
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale is in Nanning with his Wales teammates for the China Cup where they will take on the hosts in the opening game tonight and there was evidence of the star’s status among Chinese fans with a video of him arriving in the country.
The side’s star player arrived from Spain on his own and the video of him getting off the plane has gone viral on Chinese social media networks such as WeChat thanks to someone greeting him with shouts of “Beckhamu”, David Beckham’s Chinese name.
Of course, this didn’t actually happen. There was no case of mistaken identity between Beckham and Bale. It was all a joke.
The video is the work of a prankster who took the original video of the Welsh star’s touchdown in China and added the Becks-based banter over the top before sharing their masterpiece with the world.
Bale was actually greeted with shouts of his own name, as you might expect for one of the most recognisable footballers on the planet. He was also greeted with one or two of “Leo Messi” it seems.