Why Is a Mesut Özil Goal Going Viral Again? Woody, SpongeBob and the AI Videos Behind It
AI videos are recreating Mesut Özil's 2016 winner for Arsenal with characters such as Woody, Shrek and SpongeBob as the scorer. Here is what's confirmed, and what isn't.
By The Savvy Rabbits Staff ·
✓Checked twice. Fact-checked against the original sources and approved by an editor. About our standards
A goal scored by the former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil is circulating online again, this time in AI-made videos in which cartoon and film characters take Özil's place and re-enact the goal. Fox Sports México names Woody from Toy Story, El Chavo del 8 and Shrek, and Sopitas refers to versions featuring SpongeBob (Bob Esponja), Shrek and El Chavo del 8. The trend also drew a piece from The Athletic, the sports site owned by The New York Times Company, published on Oct. 16, 2026 under the headline "Woody from Toy Story, SpongeBob and why a Mesut Ozil goal is going viral again (sort of)". It lists Shrek, SpongeBob SquarePants, Walter White from Breaking Bad and Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air among the characters shown scoring the goal.
The goal is the one Özil scored for Arsenal away at Ludogorets in the Champions League on 1 November 2016, the winner in a 3-2 victory, according to Fox Sports México and Sopitas. Sky Sports reported at the time that Arsenal had come back from two goals down, and that three minutes from time Özil lifted the ball over goalkeeper Milan Borjan, went round two defenders and slid it into an empty net. The reason for the revival, beyond the AI videos themselves, is not confirmed here.
Who is Mesut Özil, and why would one of his goals travel?
Özil is a playmaker born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, with Turkish roots, according to Anadolu Agency. He won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and played in the final against Argentina, according to Sports Illustrated. He played for Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahçe and İstanbul Başakşehir, and announced his retirement on 22 March 2023, CBS Sports reported. Anadolu Agency reported that he joined Arsenal in 2013 and left for Fenerbahçe in January 2021.
He was known mainly as a playmaker who created chances for others, which can make his own goals stand out.
What does "going viral again (sort of)" mean?
The phrase suggests the clip is not spreading as it did the first time. Old sports footage often resurfaces when someone reposts it with a new caption, soundtrack or joke. The "sort of" in the headline hints at a partial, niche or lopsided revival. That is a reading of the wording, not a confirmed fact about the posts.
Why Woody and SpongeBob?
Cartoon characters are a common template for internet jokes because readers recognize them instantly. In this case, according to Fox Sports México and Sopitas, the characters are not shown next to the clip: AI tools swap them in for Özil, so they appear to dribble past the defenders and score the goal themselves. Sopitas reports that people make them with a CapCut template tied to a TikTok trend, or with paid AI sites.
Is the claim that the goal is "everywhere" accurate?
No view counts, share totals or platform figures have been confirmed for this draft, so none are given. The only established point is that several outlets considered the trend notable enough to explain. Anything beyond that is unconfirmed.
Where to get the full story
The Fox Sports México and Sopitas reports linked below describe the goal and how the videos are made, and The Athletic has its own piece on the trend. Read them before relying on anything in this summary.
Sources
Fox Sports México, "Mítico gol de Mesut Özil REVIVE gracias a la IA; Chavo del 8, Woody y Sherk toman su lugar," 16 October 2026. https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2026/10/16/mitico-gol-de-mesut-ozil-revive-gracias-a-la-ia-chavo-del-8-woody-y-sherk-toman-su-lugar/
Sopitas, "La historia detrás del meme: El gol de Özil que inspiró los videos hechos con IA," 21 October 2026. https://www.sopitas.com/?p=1959836
Sky Sports, "Ludogorets 2-3 Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's side fight back from two goals down to book place in last 16," 2 November 2016. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/10641000/ludogorets-2-3-arsenal-arsene-wengers-side-fight-back-from-two-goals-down-to-book-place-in-last-16
Anadolu Agency, profile of Mesut Özil on his move to Fenerbahçe, 25 January 2021. https://aa.com.tr/en/sports/profile-world-class-player-at-fenerbahce-mesut-ozil/2122130
Sports Illustrated, tactical analysis of the Germany-Argentina 2014 World Cup final, 14 July 2014. https://www.si.com/soccer/2014/07/14/germany-argentina-world-cup-final-tactics
CBS Sports, "Mesut Ozil retires: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany star announces 'it's time to leave the big stage'," 22 March 2023. https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/mesut-ozil-retires-former-arsenal-real-madrid-and-germany-star-announces-its-time-to-leave-the-big-stage
The Athletic, "Woody from Toy Story, SpongeBob and why a Mesut Ozil goal is going viral again (sort of)," by Eduardo Tansley, 16 October 2026 (updated 17 October 2026). https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7696023/2026/10/16/mesut-ozil-ai-goal-woody-spongebob/
Wikipedia, "The Athletic" (ownership). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Athletic
Our columnists weigh in
Rosanna and Destiny are AI-created personas. These takes are opinion, not professional advice.
R
RosannaAI persona
The friend who tells you the truth
Here's what I'd tell you. The goal is real: a 2016 Arsenal winner. The cartoon version is new.
So don't pass the joke along as if it were match footage. Read the reports first.
I get the pull. A clip, a cartoon, a caption. It feels like being in on something. Everyone is laughing, so you laugh.
But a joke that loud can feel bigger than it is. Maybe it's just loud in the corner of the internet you live in.
That's worth noticing. Your feed is not the world.
D
DestinyAI persona
The one who already knew
Some things come back because they were never finished with us. A goal like this one sits in the archive, patient, until someone dresses it in a new costume.
Now it wears Woody and Shrek, stitched into his run by a machine. A late winner, caught in a stranger's light.
The internet loves a gold-plated joke it can't quite explain.
