Influencer Virginia Fonseca debuted on TV Globo’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup and is already collecting negative reactions on social media and among press professionals. Her participation takes place within Domingão com Huck, focusing on lighter content about behind the scenes, routine in the host cities and curiosities about the daily lives of Brazilian fans.
The influencer’s casting, confirmed weeks before the start of the competition, reignited the debate about the role of digital personalities in journalistic coverage of major events. Virginia, with tens of millions of followers, was chosen to attract engagement on the networks, but the decision divides journalists and the public.
Reactions from professionals and entities
Journalist Juca Kfouri classified the choice as disrespectful to sports journalism. During UOL’s Posse de Bola program, he stated that the influencer “barely puts together two sentences” to act as a reporter at an event of the magnitude of the World Cup.
YouTuber Felipe Neto announced that, for the first time, he will not follow the World Cup on Globo precisely because of Virginia’s presence. Other names, such as presenter Astrid Fontenelle, also made public criticisms.
The National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj) released an official statement against the hiring. The entity argued that the movement represents the scrapping of journalistic coverage, with the reduction of professional teams and replacement by figures focused on entertainment and digital engagement.
First slip and defense
In its debut on the networks during coverage, Virginia made a mistake when informing game times. She confused the time zone between New York, where she is, and Brasília, and later publicly apologized in stories. The episode was reported as the influencer’s first stumble in her new role.
On the other side, journalist Glenda Kozlowski came to Virginia’s defense. She asked that the influencer have space to work and criticized the excessive debate on networks about hiring.
What Globo expects
According to behind-the-scenes information, Virginia’s appearance on Domingão com Huck prioritizes cultural and everyday aspects of the World Cup, such as shopping, gastronomy and fan experiences, without directly competing with traditional journalistic coverage of the games. Luciano Huck defended the bet on the influencer’s potential for repercussion.
The controversy reflects a larger trend: the entry of influencers into traditional vehicles, which seeks to renew the young audience, but generates resistance from trained professionals. Virginia remains in the United States following the Brazilian team and should continue delivering weekly content on the Sunday program.
