2026 World Cup: A Blunder or a Joke That Fell Flat? Social Media Storm Over Paulo Roberto Falcao

The episode of *Notti Mondiali*, the Rai1 show dedicated to the World Cup, turned into an unexpected social media sensation overnight from Friday to Saturday following a comment by Paulo Roberto Falcao. The former Roma star, participating in the usual round of predictions by the panelists, had in fact declared that the Colombia vs. Portugal match—scheduled to begin shortly—could go “into extra time, if not straight to a penalty shootout.” However, this was a group stage match, which naturally includes the possibility of a draw.

The host, Alessandro Antinelli, taken by surprise, tried to tactfully correct him: “There’s no extra time or penalty kicks yet…”. Falcao, equally taken aback, replied with an “Oh, really?”, before revising his prediction to call a Colombian victory. Ironically, the match ended 0–0—the very draw that, had it been a do-or-die match, would have sent the two teams into extra time.

On social media, the clip went viral within minutes and continues to spark debate. Comments of all kinds have poured in on Facebook, Instagram, and X: some call it a glaring mistake, pointing the finger at state TV for its choice of commentators, while others joke that “after Adani’s outbursts, now Falcao is also making life difficult for Rai.”

Other users, however, have tried to tone things down, arguing that the former champion simply intended to convey the idea of the match’s balance—though his joke fell flat, partly because Italian isn’t his native language. The result, however, is a social media storm that has turned a lighthearted TV moment into a heated debate, with some calling it a gaffe and others defending Falcao as the victim of a misunderstanding.