LeBron James is a busy man, but somehow he finds the time to do multiple projects at once. The Lakers star is a well known soccer fan, and with the 2022 FIFA World Cup underway he appears to be following the action extremely closely.
Fans watching a World Cup game on Sunday noticed that Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo, who plays for the Premier League club Brentford, looks a lot like James — who also happens to be listed as a forward. There were comments all over social media regarding a picture of Mbeumo with a hair style and facial hair that very much resembles James’ look.
James has missed the last five games with the Lakers because of a groin injury, however, and on Instagram he joked that maybe his absence has another explanation. After all, it’s important to point out that Mbeumo just made his international debut this year.
“I mean I got work to do in other places too!” James wrote.
James is expected to return to the basketball court soon — reportedly against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. He might not actually be playing soccer, but the NBA veteran does have ownership stake in Liverpool and AC Milan.
James was not the only NBA star who Twitter allegedly caught playing international soccer. Kyle Kuzma, James’ former teammate who now plays for the Washington Wizards, also has a doppelganger.
Kuzma has bleached his hair a few times, which gave him a very recognizable look. Turns out, Richarlison de Andrade from Brazil has a very similar look. The Tottenham Hotspur forward was compared to Kuzma when Brazil took on Serbia on Nov. 24. That’s quite the honor for Kuzma, as Richarlison scored the two goals that led to Brazil’s victory, including a very acrobatic one in the 73rd minute.
Neither James nor Kuzma are actually in Qatar, but at least now they have new players and teams to cheer for when the U.S. is not playing. For a full schedule of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, click here.
