Cole Palmer Caught in Viral “Serbian Seaport” Meme Scam 🌊🚫
LONDON, England — Chelsea star Cole Palmer has unexpectedly become the face of football Twitter’s latest viral hoax: an alleged £80 million loss on a “Serbian seaport project.” The punchline? Serbia is a landlocked country.
The meme first appeared on September 11, courtesy of parody account @FootballFactly, who claimed Palmer had been scammed out of £10m after investing in a nonexistent coastal development. Complete with a baffled Palmer photo and a map highlighting Serbia’s lack of sea access, the gag quickly blew up — gathering nearly 120,000 views within days. By the time it spread across Threads, Facebook, and WhatsApp groups, the imaginary £10m had ballooned into £80m.
Fact Check: Pure Fiction
Despite the viral frenzy, there’s no truth to the story. Palmer, 23, is in the form of his life after a 25-goal Premier League campaign last season and a PFA Young Player of the Year award. He earns £80,000 a week at Chelsea, has endorsement deals with Adidas and Beats, and has been linked with a €250m PSG bid — hardly the profile of a man sinking millions into Balkan infrastructure.
No credible outlets have touched the story, and Palmer’s representatives have wisely ignored it. The parody source behind the meme is notorious for absurd “scoops” like “Messi invented the offside rule” and “Ronaldo’s hair gel is worth £5m.”
Why It Stuck
Fans say the meme resonates because it plays on the stereotype of footballers being duped in dodgy investments — think fishing ponds, crypto schemes, or ill-fated property deals. Reddit’s r/soccer piled on with jokes like “Next up: Haaland invests in a Swiss beach resort.”
Palmer Keeps Shining
On the pitch, Palmer has started the 2025–26 season brilliantly under Enzo Maresca, notching four goals and three assists in four games. His trademark cool penalties and creative flair have made him a cornerstone for Chelsea and a likely starter for England at Euro 2028.
Off the pitch, though, he’s hardly the reckless investor type — more family barbecues than Belgrade marinas.
The Takeaway
Like the infamous “Mbappé moon base” hoax and the “De Bruyne time machine” meme before it, Palmer’s fake Serbian seaport scam proves one thing: in football’s digital echo chamber, satire can morph into “fact” in minutes.
Chelsea fans can relax — their rising star hasn’t lost a fortune. But in meme culture’s wild west, who knows what fictional business venture Palmer will be “linked” to next?
