Former Arsenal star, Anders Limpar, shares the incredible story of how he was pranked into believing he had time travelled.

  • Former Arsenal star, Anders Limpar, was pranked into believing he had time travelled two years into the future, in an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the Swedish TV show, Blåsningen.
  • The prank, which cost around £200,000 to execute, involved hiring an entire airport, professional actors, and fighter jet pilots, making it incredibly believable.
  • The aftermath of the prank left Limpar as a laughing stock in Sweden for years, something he admits was hard to deal with.
Anders Limpar (Arsenal FC) celebrates his goal.1990/91. Copyright: imago/Colorsport
Anders Limpar (Arsenal FC) celebrates his goal.1990/91. Copyright: imago/Colorsport

When it comes to legendary pranks, few can match the sheer scale of the one played on ex-Arsenal star, Anders Limpar. The talented midfielder, who made over 100 appearances for the Gunners, was fooled into believing he’d time-travelled two years into the future.

This outlandish hoax, orchestrated by the Swedish TV show, Blåsningen, was an elaborate ruse that was as convincing as it was bizarre.

Limpar, who enjoyed a successful football career, including four seasons at Arsenal and 58 caps for his home country, Sweden, was the unsuspecting victim of what he now refers to as the “best prank ever”. In an exclusive interview, Limpar recounted the tale with a mix of humour and disbelief.

“It all started on a flight from Gothenburg to Stockholm,” Limpar began. “Onboard, there were two ‘scientists’ who were discussing the possibility of time travel. Next thing I knew, the plane started behaving erratically, and the ‘scientists’ announced we’d flown two years into the future.”

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 11: Arsenal forward Anders Limpar (c) holds off the challenge of Crystal Palace defender Gareth Southgate (r) during a league Division One match at Higbury on April 11, 1992 in London, England.  (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 11: Arsenal forward Anders Limpar (c) holds off the challenge of Crystal Palace defender Gareth Southgate (r) during a league Division One match at Higbury on April 11, 1992 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)

The prank was meticulously planned and executed, with Blåsningen reportedly spending a whopping £200,000 to make the joke as believable as possible. They hired an entire airport, enlisted professional actors to pose as scientists, and even involved fighter jet pilots.

“So, yeah, I believed I was flying in some sort of time machine,” he admitted. “It was really, really scary at the time, but I can laugh at it now.”

Limpar, who was also a star player for Everton, confessed that he was utterly convinced by the prank, which played out over two days. The production team went as far as showing him fabricated newspapers reporting that Norway had won the 1998 World Cup. “I saw that headline and told my friend: ‘Look, look! Norway won the World Cup while we were away!'”

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 15: Arsenal wing Anders Limpar holds off the challenge of Jeremy Goss during a FA Premier League match between Arsenal and Norwich City at Higbury on August 15, 1992 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 15: Arsenal wing Anders Limpar holds off the challenge of Jeremy Goss during a FA Premier League match between Arsenal and Norwich City at Higbury on August 15, 1992 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images)

After landing, Limpar and his friend were told they were presumed dead and funerals had been held in their honour. “We thought we were dead. It was a horrible feeling,” the former Arsenal midfielder recalled.

The TV show eventually revealed the prank, leaving Limpar feeling both relieved and ridiculous. However, the incident made him the butt of jokes in Sweden for years, something he admitted was hard to deal with.

“Of course, it was an incredible prank, but when everyone in the country laughed at me for years afterwards… that was hard to deal with,” he reflected.