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| 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Attracts China's Biggest Stars Including JJ Lin and Yang Zi. (Photo: Weibo) |
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final was packed with football drama, but plenty of attention drifted from the pitch to the stands as a wave of Chinese celebrities were spotted enjoying the biggest match in world football. While Spain celebrated lifting the trophy, fans online were just as busy zooming in on familiar faces in the crowd, turning the stadium into an unexpected celebrity hotspot.
Among those spotted was freestyle skiing champion Eileen Gu, who drew attention as she joined thousands of supporters soaking up the atmosphere.
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Actress Sandra Ma Sichun was also seen at the final.
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| Ma Sichun |
While singer Allen Su Xing documented his football experience, adding to the growing list of Chinese public figures making the trip for the showpiece event.
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| Allen Su Xing |
Entrepreneur Mario Ho and supermodel Ming Xi also made an appearance together, with fans delighted to see the couple enjoying the occasion side by side.
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However, it was singer JJ Lin who generated some of the loudest online chatter after he was spotted in the stadium alongside his girlfriend, Annalisa.
Photos and videos circulating online showed JJ Lin interacting warmly with supporters, happily posing for selfies and embracing the festive atmosphere. Yet it was a series of personal snapshots that really caught fans' attention.
The singer later shared several pictures from inside the stadium, and eagle-eyed followers immediately joked that they had finally seen "the real sister-in-law angle", convinced the person behind the camera could only have been Annalisa herself.
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Fans could not get enough of the playful detail, with many saying the candid photos felt far more personal than the polished celebrity images usually shared online.
Others joked that while footballers were competing for the World Cup, supporters were busy analysing camera angles like seasoned detectives. For many, the sweet interaction between JJ Lin and Annalisa became one of the most talked-about celebrity moments away from the match itself.
Meanwhile, actress Yang Zi found herself trending for a completely different reason. She was photographed enjoying the final alongside her father, who proudly wore iconic number 10 shirt. The family outing quickly attracted attention across Chinese social media, although discussion soon shifted away from football altogether.
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Instead, many internet users became fixated on Yang Zi's appearance in several circulating images.
Some questioned whether an overly strong camera filter had dramatically altered her features, with numerous comments saying they barely recognised the actress at first glance.
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As additional photos from different angles surfaced, many agreed she looked much more like herself, leading to plenty of light-hearted jokes about modern smartphone filters working just a little too enthusiastically.
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The online conversation quickly split into different camps. Some users laughed that the filter deserved its own VIP ticket to the World Cup final after becoming almost as famous as the celebrities themselves.
Others argued that lighting, camera lenses and social media editing can easily create misleading impressions, urging people not to overanalyse a handful of photos taken in a busy stadium.
Many fans also defended Yang Zi, pointing out that almost everyone has experienced looking completely different depending on who is holding the camera.
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Fans simply enjoyed seeing the actress spending quality time with her father instead of worrying about filters.
Although plenty of Chinese celebrities were spotted enjoying the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, it was JJ Lin and his young girlfriend Annalisa, along with Yang Zi and her father, who ultimately grabbed the biggest share of online attention. JJ Lin's affectionate interactions and candid photos quickly melted fans' hearts, while Yang Zi's family outing unexpectedly sparked a lively debate over camera filters rather than football