
KUALA LUMPUR: FIFA World Cup's Official Facebook page surprised fans by posting in the thick Northern Malay dialect — much to the delight of Malaysians.
Published at midnight, the post featured Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimović with the caption:
"Lonjong elok, kemaih elok, sepak menyerit tak tau nak habbbbaq! Apa benda yang hampa tak tau pasai Zlatan, habaq mai."
(Translation: "Perfectly shaped, perfectly tidy, shot so powerful there's no way to describe it! What don't you know about Zlatan? Ask away.")
The post quickly gained traction, amassing over 2,500 likes and more than 430 comments, with many Malaysians enjoying the playful use of local language.
User Amin Runner Kuantan joked:
"Patut la Perlis tinggal tujuh orang je, rupanya lagi sorang jadi admin Fifa!"
("No wonder Perlis only has seven people left — the other one became FIFA's admin.")
Meanwhile, Asyraf Zainon expressed northern pride:
"Nohhhhh org Kodiaanggggg keliaaaaaaa mendoniaaa!"
("Wow, someone from Kodiang (a small town in Kedah) has gone global.")
Some users quickly realised the page was localising content, tailoring posts to different regional dialects for better engagement.
"Depa nak test server Kedah atau utara la tu … sempoi!"
("They're probably testing how the content is delivered to Kedah or the northern region … nice touch!") wrote Izahar Azizan.
For context, social media platforms often customise content based on users' locations and behaviour, allowing brands to connect more effectively with specific audiences.