Erling Haaland's Taxidermy Raccoon Goes Viral After Norway's Exit
Erling Haaland's World Cup run with Norway ended in the quarterfinals, but the Manchester City striker wasn't leaving the United States without a souvenir. Photos of Haaland stepping off the team plane in Oslo on Monday showed him carrying a Dolce & Gabbana tote bag in one hand and a fully taxidermied raccoon holding a bottle in the other.
"It followed me home," Haaland wrote on X, accompanying the post with a raccoon and laughing-face emoji. He later posted to his Instagram Story asking fans to help name his new companion, offering four options: Cowboy, Ranger, TEX and R.O.W. (Raccoon On Wheels).
Where the Raccoon Actually Came From
The taxidermy raccoon reportedly came from a shop the Norway squad visited during their time in the U.S. Nikki Newport, an employee at the store, told CBC News the raccoon cost $750. She said the shop gets raccoons "intermittently" through a taxidermist supplier, though that particular taxidermist has since retired, making future stock harder to come by.
Since Haaland's visit, Newport said the store has seen a noticeable jump in sales, including of its taxidermy pieces. "The supplier we're getting them from shipped us another one, and before I could even get to it at the store yesterday it was already sold online," she said. "I called the supplier back and I just begged for anything that they had. And so they found three more. So those are on their way to us right now."
A Fitting End to a Viral Tournament
The raccoon fits neatly into what became one of the more unexpectedly entertaining storylines of the tournament. Haaland scored seven goals as Norway reached its first-ever men's World Cup quarterfinal, a run that ended in a 2-1 extra-time loss to England. Along the way, Haaland became a genuine global phenomenon, gaining roughly 12 million new Instagram followers during the tournament alone, with a particularly large following building in China, where fans affectionately nicknamed him "Baby Ha."
Off the field, Haaland kept fans entertained throughout the tournament with a steady stream of social media updates documenting his and Norway's antics in the U.S., including the team's viral "Viking Row" celebration performed after wins, which fans also began replicating themselves during matches for good luck.
Not Haaland's First Offbeat Moment
The raccoon souvenir is only the latest example of Haaland's larger-than-life personality translating into viral moments off the pitch. Earlier this year, he needed three stitches after being struck by a luggage door while exiting the Norway team bus, an injury he shared on social media with characteristic humor before going on to score five goals in Norway's 11-1 World Cup qualifying win over Moldova days later.
In another qualifying match against Italy, Haaland credited a fired-up performance to Italian defender Gianluca Mancini pinching him during the game, telling reporters afterward, "At 1-1 he started to grab my ass. I thought, 'What are you doing?' Then I got a little fired up... Then I scored two goals, we win 4-1, so that's nice. Thank you a lot to him!"
For now, Haaland's new taxidermy companion awaits an official name, chosen by his fans, as a lasting memento of Norway's historic World Cup run.
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